2018: phishing attempts have increased by 250%

The number of phishing campaigns has risen up to 250% worldwide during 2018

In the year of 2018, phishing attempts have increased at a very high level - up to 250% worldwide

Phishing campaigns have been widespread all over the world and have been targeting numerous random users who lack attention or basic knowledge of Internet security.^[1] However, according to research, phishing attempts have increased in the past year – in 2018 such attacks risen up to 250%.

Unfortunately, Microsoft also claims that these attempts are still growing and creating risks for business companies worldwide, even though people are informed about such possibilities:^[2]

While machine learning is helping to reduce the risks of phishing attacks succeeding, the number of attacks still continue to grow. As such, it still poses a great risk to businesses globally.

Hackers have been investigating different techniques which allow them to gain income from their attacks

Phishing is such a growing process nowadays because it brings a really good income for the hackers who promote it. According to the CEO of Lucy Security, cybercriminals can set whatever type of user as their target. Additionally, phishing attacks bring the cybercrooks good benefits as these people always think of more efficient ways to spread their illegitimate activities:^[3]

In phishing, everyone is a target. Not surprising that cybercriminals invent more and more sophisticated phishing techniques day-by-day.

Talking about the phishing techniques, attackers have been succeeding by promoting various new methods. Some of them are transition from URL domains directly, transition from remote servers, and sending email messages. However, tricky letters appear not always to be in the spam section.^[4] Some hackers send legitimate-looking emails and pretend to be from reliable business organizations, or offer needed software and services.

This way users can be easily tricked as by seeing an official name or receiving really needed offers they usually do not consider the possibility that such email message might be misleading. However, we recommend sorting out every email you receive, eliminating all suspicious ones, and not rushing to open attachments that might come clipped even to really legitimate-looking messages. Perform an antivirus scan first.

The user's carelessness itself is the main thing that brings success to phishing attempts

Continuously, according to computer experts, hackers never stop looking for new ways to invade machines and hack systems. Once one flaw is secured, another comes out and is misused by cybercrooks or the criminals themselves find unprotected sources or unnoticed paths to the targeted computer system or device.

Some big help for the criminals is the users' carelessness. Once encountered a rogue website or application form, a big number of users just do not pay the required amount of attention and start typing in their personal details not even considering the risk of revealing their data to random people or getting sensitive information misused for data theft.

We offer to look for a reliable and very strong antivirus program that you could install and launch on your computer. It is very important that each user takes actions to protect himself/herself from possible phishing attempts as usually people themselves provide hackers with relevant information without even knowing that.^[5]