Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day for romance. It’s a time of year when cyber criminals and scammers launch attacks such as phishing, vishing, smishing, and social engineering. Australia has begun issuing warnings to singles, informing them of the “pig butchering” or “romance baiting” scam that’s prominent on Valentine’s Day. It starts with the attacker assuming the identity of...

Say, have you heard anything about supply chains lately? Of course, you have. This phrase has entered the zeitgeist with more gusto than Taylor Swift oozing rizz in a Chiefs jersey. When we talk about the price of things, be they groceries or concert tickets, the conversation inevitably turns to someone remarking on “the supply chain,” and the rest of us nod knowingly. Which...

“On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”     Cartoon by Peter Steiner There’s a reason this cartoon gained popularity in 1993 and has now become an iconic representation of how the internet works. The internet provides a way for people to hide their real identities, which can unfortunately lead to dishonest activities. Nowadays, scammers take advantage of this to...

According to Valimail’s Spring 2019 Email Fraud Landscape, about 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent each day, making it one of the most common types of cyber attacks. This number shows how crucial it is to train your employees so they can recognize and report malicious emails. That’s where cyber security awareness training comes in. With the right training program, you can...

Less of a cyber security threat and closer to a scam, Vishing refers to attempts to steal information or money over the phone by convincing the victim. These calls often use personal data acquired through previous cyber attacks to gain their victim’s trust. This type of threat is definitely on the rise—especially with the help of AI. Like many other hacks and scams, Vishing is...

Imagine countless organizations working together like a well-oiled machine to create and deliver the products and services we rely on. That’s what supply chain networks are. Like a machine, each connection is vital to make the whole thing work. It’s a delicate dance of supply and demand, where each organization plays its part in keeping the network alive and thriving. And...

Businesses don’t stand and operate alone. Organizations partner with an average of 10 third-party vendors to manage their operations. Especially when talking about large corporations—they collaborate with various other organizations or firms helping them manage and advance their operations. These firms include suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, software vendors,...

An urgent voicemail message from the tax department. A text message from Microsoft tech support warning you about a problem with your computer. A caller asking you to confirm your mailing address and credit card number so you can collect your free prize. A text message requesting your confirmation of an Amazon shipment. These are all examples of smishing and vishing cyber...

Did you know that on average, every company is connected to ten third-party businesses? There’s the payroll services company that remotely manages employee wages. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud storage provider that backs up customer account data. The security company that provides access control to company buildings and systems. To achieve an efficient supply chain,...

The news from Human Resources is that employees are happier than ever. Working from home using third-party vendor services makes work easier and more flexible. The news from IT is less enthusiastic. A recent report showed that a whopping 98% of organizations have at least one third-party provider that has suffered a data breach in the last two years. Third-party vendor...

When it comes to cyber crime, hackers like to locate the most high-value targets, whether it’s a piece of infrastructure or an individual with access to privileged information, all while expending the least effort possible. In most examples of spear phishing attacks, a criminal will send out targeted attacks via email to multiple users. In these emails, the attacker will use...

Spoofing refers to an attack where hackers use various ways to disguise their identity so that their victims think they are talking to their coworker, boss, or business. The methods used to achieve this are the typical phishing tropes such as fake websites, links, and social engineering. When spoofing is involved, it’s often more helpful to focus on detecting the facade rather...

Spear phishing occurs when cyber criminals deploy targeted attacks against individuals and businesses alike via email. Using savvy tactics, hackers collect sensitive data about specific parties to construct messages that sound familiar and trustworthy. As its name implies, spear phishing falls under the larger umbrella category of phishing attacks that victimize end users and...

Know how to identify and prevent a spoofing attack Spoofing attacks are the ultimate form of cybercriminal trickery and deception. Cybercriminals disguise themselves and rely on trust to steal confidential information, install ransomware, and commit other cybercrimes. Spoofing comes down to trust. Cybercriminals hide behind trusted people, domains, URLs, and the technical...