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Microsoft, Amazon and DHL are the brands cybercriminals love to impersonate

Cybercriminals love impersonating big brands as it means that targets are more likely to succumb to their attempts to phish them.

Over the last three months – July, August and September – Check Point Software Technologies has been tracking the brands most frequently impersonated by cybercriminals and the results reflect what you might have seen happening in your own inbox of late.

The most popular brand to impersonate is Microsoft. Check Point found that 29 percent of all phishing attacks globally made use of Microsoft’s name in a bid to lure unsuspecting victims into handing over their personal information.

Social media has become a popular disguise for the first time this year according to Check Point’s research. While not nearly as popular as Microsoft, WhatsApp (3%), LinkedIn (2.5%) and Facebook (2.2%) all entered the top ten of the most impersonated brands for the first time this year in the last three months. It goes without saying that you should approach emails from those brands with caution.

The top ten brands impersonated by cybercriminals are:

  1. Microsoft – 29%
  2. Amazon – 13%
  3. DHL – 9%
  4. Bestbuy – 8%
  5. Google – 6%
  6. WhatsApp – 3%
  7. Netflix – 2.6%
  8. LinkedIn – 2.5%
  9. Paypal – 2.3%
  10. Facebook 2.2%

“Unfortunately, there’s only so much these brands can do to help combat phishing attempts,” explains data research group manager at Check Point Software, Omer Dembinsky.

“So often, it’s the human element that often fails to pick up on a misspelt domain, an incorrect date, or another suspicious detail in a text or email. As always, we encourage users to be cautious when divulging their data, and to think twice before opening email attachments or links, especially emails that claim to be from companies such as Amazon, Microsoft or DHL as they are the most likely to be imitated. Following the data from Q3, we’d also urge users to be vigilant when it comes to any emails or other communications that appear to be from social media channels such as Facebook or WhatsApp,” Dembinsky concludes.

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