Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and the most recent evolution of phishing scams is proving particularly effective. Boasting a gruesome name, pig butchering is a cyber threat that reels in victims and steals thousands, sometimes millions of dollars. Pig butchering has quickly become one of the most lucrative scams thanks to a mix of post-pandemic loneliness and inadequate technological...

With roughly 5 billion people —a whopping 65% of the global population—sending and receiving SMS messages, it’s no wonder that hackers have taken to SMS as a new way to lead cyber attacks. In 2022, 68.4 million Americans fell victim to a phone scam. And only 65% of Americans say they would delete a text if it came from an unknown sender. With these kinds of numbers, the odds are in hackers’ favor...

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 an attractive...

“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 deceive people who either trust...

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 attacks. They have one...

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 than looking at the...

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 elements that make up a...