In the ever-evolving world of phishing, it seems that two tech giants, Facebook and Microsoft, continue to be the most commonly spoofed brands. According to cybersecurity firm Vade, their collective dominance in this area persisted throughout the first half of 2023.
A recent report from Vade highlighted that Facebook accounted for 18% of all phishing URLs, while Microsoft followed closely behind with 15%. These figures demonstrate the popularity of these brands among hackers and their continued vulnerability to spoofing attempts. In fact, Facebook and Microsoft combined accounted for more unique phishing URLs than the next top five brands (Crédit Agricole, SoftBank, Orange, PayPal, and Apple) combined.
Interestingly, Microsoft experienced a surge in spoofing attempts in the second quarter, overtaking Facebook as the most targeted brand. This increase amounted to a 22% quarter-on-quarter rise in spoofing attempts. This development further emphasizes the attractiveness of these two brands to cybercriminals.
While Facebook and Microsoft held the top positions, other brands also experienced significant shifts in their rankings. SoftBank, a Japan-based telecommunications company, saw a remarkable surge in phishing attempts. In the second quarter, SoftBank became the third most impersonated brand in phishing attacks, with a 1500% quarter-on-quarter increase, totaling 4591 unique URLs. By the end of the first half of 2023, SoftBank secured the fourth slot, trailing behind Facebook, Microsoft, and Crédit Agricole.
The financial services industry continued to be the most impersonated industry in terms of phishing attacks during the first half of the year. This sector accounted for over 33% of all phishing URLs, underlining the ongoing focus of cybercriminals on financial institutions. The social media and cloud industries also faced significant phishing threats, comprising 22% and 21% of phishing URLs, respectively.
In addition to Facebook and Microsoft, another tech giant, Google, made its way into the list of the top 10 most impersonated brands in the first half of 2023. This inclusion is not surprising, considering the widespread use of their productivity suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Vade’s investigations revealed two attacks targeting Microsoft 365 users and two attacks exploiting Google services, such as YouTube and Google Translate, during the second quarter alone.
Furthermore, the report highlighted that more financial services brands appeared among the top 25 most impersonated brands in the first half of 2023 than in any other quarter over the past three years. This emphasizes the sustained targeting of this industry by cybercriminals.
While examining the volume of malware, Vade discovered a slight increase from the second half of 2022 to the first half of 2023. The number of malware instances rose from 111.4 million to 112.3 million during this period.
When analyzing the timeline of phishing emails, the report identified January as the month with the highest volume, while February recorded the lowest. Additionally, Facebook dominated the social media sector’s phishing URLs, accounting for a substantial 85%.
This report serves as a reminder of the perpetual threat posed by phishing attacks, especially against prominent brands like Facebook and Microsoft. As hackers continuously adapt their tactics, it is crucial for individuals and organizations to remain vigilant in order to protect themselves against these malicious activities.