Just when you thought cyber criminals couldn’t get smarter, along comes a new scamming technique. Previously used for safeguarding browsing activity, encryption tools are now used by hackers in carrying out phishing scams. This means some fraudulent sites may have HTTPS in their address, giving users a false sense of security.
When you get a phishing email or text, the sites they lead to – that try to trick you into entering credentials, personal information and so on – implement web encryption about 24 percent of the time now, reported by PhishLabs. Phishing scammers rely on their victims to do what they ask, which is why it’s so effective. And with this new trick, unsuspecting users are more likely to be deceived. What makes this encryption-aided scam even more effective – and dangerous – is that is makes hackers’ phishing email or text that much more authentic-looking.
Some phishing sites come by HTTPS only incidentally, or as an added bonus. Phishers often hijack legitimate sites for their own uses, so the more HTTPS is deployed around the web overall, the more likely that a phisher might compromise a site that implements it.
What you can do to ensure safety
This isn’t meant to cause panic, and despite this new phishing tactic, encryption is still an essential security tool that every business must implement.
Websites with HTTPS are still much safer than un-encrypted ones. This is why it’s more important than ever to be vigilant when visiting suspicious sites and clicking on links. If you receive an email from PayPal asking you to verify your bank account details or password to a seemingly secure link, be wary. Some phishing scams are easy to detect, but some are not.
Phishing and other cyber scams are constantly getting upgrades, and no single solution can prevent hackers from attacking you. But your business could be much safer with the right cyber security protections in place. If this is exactly what you need, schedule a free consultation with our security experts.
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Phillip Long – CISSP, CEO of , along with his team of marketing and information technology experts, will walk you through an overview of what your business should be doing to protect your data and plan your digital marketing strategies.
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