Anatomy of an Attack
Social engineering is used in virtually every advanced email attack. The techniques used come in various forms, usually involving personalized messages with details harvested from social networking sites or other public sources.
Phase 1
ProfileResearch Targets
Organized cybercrime rings are highly sophisticated, mining marketing databases, social media profiles, online archives and corporate websites to identity and profile targets.
Phase 2
PersonalizeTailor Attack
Through well-researched, expertly-crafted email messages backed by matching phishing sites, these thieves impersonate a trusted individual or brand.
Phase 3
PushDeliver Emails
Some campaigns will score their first victims in under four minutes. Others will involve meticulous grooming over weeks or even moths, as fraudsters gain the trust of unsuspecting business or consumer targets.
Phase 4
PersuadeManipulate Emotions
Through carefully-timed messages designed to maximize tension and exploit personal insecurities, victims rush to respond without carefully assessing the legitimacy of the sender or the message.
Phase 5
PlunderReap Rewards
Criminals receive and launder funds before vanishing into thin air. Or they infiltrate compromised accounts and extract valuable data and information that can be monetized in future crimes.
