Microsoft is the name most often misused in phishing attacks

marry 23.10.2024, 10:00 AM

According to new research CheckPointain the third quarter of 2024, Microsoft was the most used brand for impersonation in phishing attacks, with 61% of phishing attempts misrepresenting well-known company names. Microsoft was in the same place on the list that is part of CheckPoint’s report for the previous quarter.

Apple also maintained its position as the second most abused brand, being used in 12% of phishing attempts, with Google, which was fourth in the previous ranking, now in third place with 7%. Facebook is now in fourth place (3%), followed by WhatsApp (1.2%) and Amazon (1.2%).

Alibaba debuted in the top 10 at number seven (1.1%), and Adobe re-entered the list at number eight (0.8%), marking the company’s first appearance on these lists since the second quarter of 2022.

One of the most sophisticated phishing attempts observed by Check Point is alibabashopvip(.)com, a Vietnamese-language phishing website posing as the Alibaba website that offers counterfeit products.

The CheckPoint team has also noticed the emergence of a number of WhatsApp-related websites (eg Whatsapp-io(.)com) impersonating the Whatsapp Security Center and encouraging users to enter personal information, including phone number and country or region, under the pretext of solving problems with by order.

Overall, the technology sector remained the industry most used for impersonation in phishing attacks, followed by social networks and banks.

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