The research department of a cyber security solutions provider has published the Brand Phishing Report for the fourth quarter of 2023.
The report highlights the brands most frequently imitated by hackers to steal personal information, user account information or payment data in October, November and December 2023. Microsoft was at the top with 33 percent and overall the technology sector was the most abused industry as Amazon came second with 9 percent, Google third with 8 percent and Apple with 4 percent.
“As we said goodbye to 2023, one thing followed us into the new year: the threat of phishing. Even cybercriminals with limited programming skills are able to accurately spoof real brands to deceive unsuspecting customers and conduct social engineering attacks,” explains Omer Dembinsky, Data Group Manager at Check Point Software Technologies. Dembinsky continued: “Due to the widespread use of AI, an increase in phishing campaigns is expected this year, which will be even more difficult to distinguish from real corporate communications. As the biggest names in technology, social networking and banking continue to be imitated, end users should be particularly vigilant when opening emails that claim to be from a reputable brand.”
Knowledge against phishing
Omer Dembinsky, data group manager at Check Point, said: “Criminal groups stage phishing campaigns to trick as many people as possible into giving up their data. In some cases, the attacks aim to obtain account information, as was the case with the Raiffeisen campaigns. Others are used to steal payment data, as seen with the popular streaming service Netflix. However, the best defense against phishing threats is still knowledge. Employees should be properly trained to learn about suspicious characteristics, such as misspelled domains, typos, incorrect data, and other details that will expose a fraudulent email or link.”
Top 10 Phishing Brands
Microsoft (33%)
Amazon (9%)
Google (8%)
Apple (4%)
Wells Fargo (3%)
LinkedIn (3%)
Home Depot (3%)
Facebook (3%)
Netflix (2%)
DHL (2%)
About check point Check Point Software Technologies GmbH (www.checkpoint.com/de) is a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions for public administrations and companies worldwide. The solutions protect customers from cyberattacks with an industry leading detection rate for malware, ransomware and other types of attacks. Check Point offers a multi-level security architecture that protects company information in cloud environments, networks and on mobile devices, as well as the most comprehensive and intuitive “one point of control” security management system. Check Point protects over 100.000 businesses of all sizes.