Cybercrime Gangs Continue To Innovate

According to the APWG’s Phishing Activity Trends Report, after spiking in the spring, phishing has been taking place at a steady pace, but phishers are using new techniques to carry out their attacks, and obfuscate their origins, to make the most of every phishing campaign.

APWG is the international coalition unifying the global response to cybercrime. APWG’s membership of more than 2200 institutions worldwide is as global as its outlook, with its directors, managers and research fellows advising: national governments; global governance bodies.

The total number of phish detected by APWG in Q3 2018 was 151,014. This was down from 233,040 in Q2 and 263,538 in Q1. There was an unusual rash of phishing in the spring of 2018, and the amount of phishing in Q3 was a return to the kind of levels seen through 2017. But while the number of attacks subsided, APWG’s contributing researchers noticed ways in which phishers have been making their attacks more effective and harder to detect.

Phishers are increasingly using web page redirects as a way of hiding their phishing sites from detection. When victims click on links in phishing emails, redirects take the user on an unwitting journey through other sites before arriving at the phishing site itself.

Once the victim submits his or her credentials, still more redirects make take the victim to yet another domain.

The researchers at APWG member PhishLabs have observed that half of all phishing sites now use SSL encryption, which can fool users into thinking that a site is safe to use, for example, by virtue of the green lock symbol that appears in the browser address bar when SSL encryption is enabled.

Some of the increase comes from phishers adding HTTP encryption to their phishing sites, a technique that turns a security feature against the victims.

APWG contributor RiskIQ analysed where phishing falls in the domain name space, and found that certain top-level domains have notable amounts of phishing in them, both in absolute and relative terms.

Some of this phishing is attributable to phishers who register in top-level domains that offer domain names for free.

HelpNetSecurity:

You Might Also Read:

What's Your Digital Data Worth?:
 

« Fortnite Teen Hackers 'Earning Thousands of Pounds a Week'
US Treasury Sanctions Russians For Electoral Interference »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Our Supplier Directory lists 6,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

Gigamon

Gigamon

Gigamon provides intelligent Traffic Visability solutions that provide unmatched visbility into physical & birtual networks without affecting the performance or stability of production environments.

Malware Patrol

Malware Patrol

Malware Patrol provides intelligent threat data that protects against cyber attacks.

Tessian

Tessian

Tessian (formerly CheckRecipient) is a next-generation email security platform that helps enterprises counteract human error and significantly reduce the risk of data loss.

Netsafe

Netsafe

Netsafe is an independent, non-profit New Zealand organisation focused on online safety. We help people stay safe online by providing online safety education, advice and support.

KIOS Center of Excellence (KIOS CoE)

KIOS Center of Excellence (KIOS CoE)

KIOS carries out top level research in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with emphasis on the Monitoring, Control and Security of Critical Infrastructures.

LuJam Cyber

LuJam Cyber

LuJam Cyber is a cybersecurity company that provides protection to SME Networks.

Beazley

Beazley

Beazley are a specialist insurer with three decades of experience in providing clients with the highest standards of underwriting and claims service worldwide.

Aptiv

Aptiv

Aptiv is a global technology company that develops safer, greener and more connected solutions enabling the future of mobility.

Raqmiyat

Raqmiyat

Raqmiyat provides end-to-end IT Services and business solutions including consultancy, digital transformation, infrastructure and cybersecurity.

ProcessUnity

ProcessUnity

ProcessUnity is a leading provider of Third-Party Risk Management software, helping companies remediate risks posed by third-party service providers.

Cybeta

Cybeta

Cybeta's actionable cybersecurity intelligence keeps your business safe with strategic and operational security recommendations that prevent breaches.

Valarian

Valarian

Valarian (formerly Worldr) is on a mission to build cutting-edge solutions that empower borderless collaboration in the new era of digital sovereignty.

Security Risk Management (SRM)

Security Risk Management (SRM)

SRM provide a comprehensive security risk management service encompassing people, processes, technology, governance, compliance and risk management.

Infuse Technology

Infuse Technology

Infuse Technology provide the highest level of cybersecurity support, implementing practical solutions to protect against cyber-attacks, from simple phishing scams to complex data security breaches.

Techsolidity

Techsolidity

Techsolidity is an emerging e-learning platform that offers a wide range of upskilling programs worldwide in areas including cybersecurity.

Applied Insight

Applied Insight

Applied Insight work closely with government agencies and industry to overcome technical and cultural hurdles to innovation, empowering them with the latest cloud, data and cyber capabilities.

Trovent Security

Trovent Security

Trovent was founded with a clear goal: to support medium-sized companies in significantly increasing their IT security level.