The email threats faced by organizations today vary greatly in complexity, volume, and impact.
Here we take a closer look so you can spot the threat before it harms you or your organization.
Account takeover is a form of identity theft and fraud, where a malicious third party successfully gains access to a user’s account credentials. Cybercriminals use brand impersonation, social engineering, and phishing to steal login credentials and access email accounts.
Once the account is compromised, hackers monitor and track activity to learn how the company does business, the email signatures they use, and the way financial transactions are handled. This helps them launch successful attacks, including harvesting additional login credentials for other accounts.
Combatting account takeover requires a variety of strategies:
- Identifying the signs of phishing emails that could lead to account compromise.
- Recognizing signs of brand impersonation and url spoofing.
- Fortifying yourself against social engineering tactics by knowing how social engineers operate.
The sample shown is typical of emails that lead to account takeover.
Example
