The world is starting to wake up to the onslaught of coronavirus-themed phishing emails. According to Check Point, “Since January 2020, there have been over 4,000 coronavirus-related domains registered globally. Coronavirus-related domains are 50% more likely to be malicious than other domains registered at the same period.”
Consequently, it’s getting harder for hackers to phish victims simply by scaring them with a coronavirus email. So, what are hackers doing now? Taking their exploits to the next level by leveraging other services to scam victims while using coronavirus as the “excuse” for the phishing email.
The first example of this is the Netflix Covid-19 phishing scam. In this scam, victims receive an email telling them that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix “will give out 3 months of Netflix Premium to help you spend more time at home.” And of course, the email comes with a link to click on for more information. It’s a scam.
Bottom line: “Netflix is not offering free streaming for three months and are advising people not to click on the link and just delete it.” But hackers know that not everybody knows that.
Another example of this leveraging other services is “Cyber criminals trying to trick Zoom users as the video-conferencing platform surges in popularity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic forcing people to work – and socialize – remotely.”
According to data from cybersecurity company BrandShield, “the number of domains containing the world ‘Zoom’ hugely increased during March, with hundreds appearing every day by the end of the month. As many as 2,200 new ‘Zoom’ domains were registered in March alone, taking the total to over 3,300. With remote workers expecting to be sent invites to Zoom conference calls, it’s providing opportunities for attackers to send phishing emails containing links to phoney login pages that aim to steal the usernames and passwords.”
Hackers are taking advantage of the pandemic any way they can. And the one thing that is certain is that they won’t stop “innovating” in their phishing attacks. If you want to protect yourself and your company from these ever more sophisticated attacks, you’re going to need technology that doesn’t get scared and sees through all the nonsense.
Phish Protection can protect you and your organization from coronavirus-inspired phishing attacks (and every other phishing attack). It does so by investing links in emails to see if they’re malicious and if they are, it keeps them out of your inbox. So, it doesn’t matter how clever the hackers are or how scared you are of coronavirus, Phish Protection keeps you safe.
There’s never been a better time or a better reason to get Phish Protection. It works with all email services, sets up in 10 minutes and costs just pennies per user per month. Try it free for 60 days and keep yourself safe from coronavirus and all the other mischief it causes.