A Check Point released its report with the companies that suffer the most from phishing attacks by cybercriminals, which showed that although social networks are currently one of the main ones, Microsoft continues to be the most targeted brand.
In its Brand Phishing Report, it is revealed that social networks are in the top three of the most imitated sectors in attempted phishing attacks, with WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Facebook appearing in the list of the 10 most imitated brands. To inform you that this is the first time this happens this year.
The study refers to the third quarter of 2021, where it still reveals that 29% of phishing attempts were related to Microsoft, which represents a decrease from the 45% recorded in the second quarter of that year.
Giant Amazon is in second place, replacing DHL, with 13% of all phishing attempts. In the previous semester, the same company had 11%. The trend of looking to take advantage of online shopping in the period before the holidays continued in this last quarter.
BUT: Check Point Software's report highlights the impact of cyber-crime around the world
To report that an attack of brand phishing, criminals try to imitate a brand's official website by using a domain name and design very similar to those found on the original. The fake website often contains forms that aim to steal credentials, banking details or other personal information.
«Unfortunately, there's not much these brands can do to help fight phishing attempts. Often, it is the human factor that fails to capture a poorly written domain, an incorrect date, or other suspicious detail in a text or email. As always, we encourage users to be cautious in disclosing their data, and to think twice before opening email attachments or links, especially on emails claiming to be from companies such as Amazon, Microsoft or DHL, the brands most likely to be imitated. ".
Here are the top 10 most used brands for phishing attacks during the third quarter of 2021:
1. Microsoft (accounted for 29% of all brand phishing attempts globally)
2. Amazon (13%)
3. DHL (9%)
4. Bestbuy (8%)
5. Google (6%)
6. WhatsApp (3%)
7. Netflix (2.6%)
8. LinkedIn (2.5%)
9. PayPal (2.3%)
10. Facebook (2.2%)
