Email Security Report Highlights Growing Phishing Threats

File-Sharing Attacks on the Rise

Abnormal Security's H2 2024 Email Threat Report reveals a surge in file-sharing phishing attacks, posing a significant threat to businesses and individuals alike.

Key Findings:

• File-sharing attacks rose to 72% of phishing campaigns, up from 9% in the 2023 report.
• Organizations remain highly vulnerable to inbound attacks, with 92% as exposed as in the previous year.
• Business email compromise (BEC) and vendor email compromise (VEC) continue to thrive, targeting companies and individuals.

Mass Data Breaches Expose Millions

A recent report analyzed 18,000 email addresses generated from common first and last names. The findings are alarming:

• Some 73 million current and former AT&T customers were exposed in a single breach that may have gone unnoticed for four years.

Such large-scale data breaches can have severe consequences for individuals, including identity theft and financial loss.

Combating Email Threats

To mitigate these threats, organizations and individuals should implement robust email security measures, including:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all email accounts.
• Regular employee awareness training to identify suspicious emails.
• Employing advanced email security solutions that utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Conclusion

Email remains a critical communication channel, but it also faces evolving security challenges. By staying informed about the latest threats and implementing effective security measures, individuals and organizations can protect themselves from phishing attacks, data breaches, and other email-borne threats.