Spear Phishing Examples

Spear phishing is when cybercriminals attempt to phish a particular person or organization. But are you able to recognize an attempt if it happens to you and prevent phishing?

Here, we provide you with some spear phishing vs phishing examples as well as spear phishing prevention information so you can be prepared for any similar attacks.

Read More : What is Phishing?

Amazon

The majority of phishing scams on Amazon are generic ones because of the sheer volume of customers on the platform. But that doesn’t mean cybercriminals don’t run spear phishing attacks.

In 2015, they launched an attack that got Amazon users to install ransomware. The scammers found out who had recently purchased items on the platform and sent out fake dispatch orders to them. When the customers clicked on the tracking link, it opened the door to ransomware.

PayPal

PayPal is also a platform that’s susceptible to both phishing and spear phishing because they have so many customers. Cybercriminals used a simpler tactic: personalized emails. When PayPal users saw the phishing emails, they looked legitimate because there wasn’t a generic greeting used.

MORE : Phishing Prevention Best Practices

RSA

You may think that security companies don’t fall victim to phishing attacks, but it actually happens quite often. Back in 2011, security firm RSA was infiltrated through a simple spear phishing email.

Although all emails from the attack went straight to the junk folder, all it took was one employee to retrieve one and open it. They clicked on the attachment, which installed remote access malware on their computer. As a result, cybercriminals gained access to vital business data.

MORE : Difference Between Phishing and Vishing

Don’t let security breaches happen

These spear phishing examples show that not only are people like you targeted, but also large corporations that should be able to handle phishing attacks. This demonstrates that even giants have vulnerabilities, so no matter how good you think your cyber defenses are, you can always do better with the best phishing protection.

MORE : How to Prevent Phishing Emails

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