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Apple, Netflix and Yahoo among top brands used in phishing attempts

As more people across the globe are staying home during lockdowns due to COVID-19, many of turning to different online tools to pass the time. This is something that cybercriminals are acutely aware of, and as such they are using popular brand names in order to lure unsuspecting users with phishing attacks.

So much so that Check Point Research has looked at which brands are proving most popular among phishing attempts, and has come up with a list of the top 10 brands during Q1 of 2020.

“In a brand phishing attack, criminals try to imitate the official website of a well-known brand by using a similar domain name or URL and web-page design to the genuine site,” Check Point explains.

“The link to the fake website can be sent to targeted individuals by email or text message, a user can be redirected during web browsing, or it may be triggered from a fraudulent mobile application. The fake website often contains a form intended to steal users’ credentials, payment details or other personal information,” the cybersecurity firm adds.

Comparing the most recent findings to the Q4 2019 report, Check Point found that Apple made the biggest jump, moving from seventh to first place. Unsurprisingly, Netflix featured in second spot, which makes sense given how many more people are making use of streaming services at this time.

The top 10 brands used for phishing attempts, according to Check Point, is as follows:

  1. Apple (10 percent)
  2. Netflix (9 percent)
  3. Yahoo (6 percent)
  4. WhatsApp (6 percent)
  5. PayPal (5 percent)
  6. Chase (5 percent)
  7. Facebook (3 percent)
  8. Microsoft (3 percent)
  9. eBay (3 percent)
  10. Amazon (1 percent)

“Cybercriminals continue to exploit users by adopting highly sophisticated phishing attempts via emails, web and mobile applications purporting to be from well-recognised brands which they know will be in high demand at the moment, whether that’s a high profile product launch or just generally tapping into behavioural changes we’ve seen during the Coronavirus pandemic,” notes Maya Horowitz, director of Threat Intelligence & Research, Products at Check Point.

“Phishing will continue to be a growing threat in the coming months, especially as criminals continue to exploit the fears and needs of people using essential services from their homes. As always, we encourage users to be vigilant and cautious when divulging personal data,” she concludes.

[Image – Photo by Çağatay Demir on Unsplash]

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