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Ethical Phishing Simulation
In an internet security testing exercise we have been performing recently, we have found that ethical phishing simulation is surprisingly accurate. The purpose of these exercises is to see the response times of a web application's response code, and also to simulate what would happen if you were to execute a web attack against it. When web developers write these applications they include many different security measures already, like encrypted forms and https transfers, but it is important for them to remember that the code is not enough protection. Sometimes a phisher will be able to bypass these protections and gain access to the information or systems on your network.
A phishing attack works by sending fake emails to targeted individuals. These emails are crafted to look legitimate, or they might contain malware that looks like it came from your PC. Many people will click on these links believing that they are opening up new accounts or reading their news e-mails, when in fact they are being invited to open a bogus email attachment that downloads a piece of software which installs a rogue program on the computer. These attacks can be very destructive, and can cause serious financial damage to companies and even people. If a phishing attack happens on your network, the results could be devastating, not only to your company, but also to anyone who happens to be online at the time.
An attack works by sending fake emails to target individuals with the intention of getting them to provide financial information. Once a person opens the message, the software begins logging keystrokes and performing actions in the background. The phisher could also set up an automated website that appears to be legitimate, and invites you to enter your credit card details. Once a payment is made, the website could show you a preview of what is in store for you if you decide to proceed. However, the phisher could also use a context-aware email to trigger a number of other activities on your computer, including the downloading of harmful files.
In the context of corporate emailing, the situation becomes even more serious. For example, an employee of a particular company who receives an email address from a client does not necessarily think that it is an original sender. Instead, the employee may open the message and attempt to make sense of what is being offered. If this is not done correctly, and the message contains malware or fake software that installs a virus onto your computer, the damage could be extensive, and may even cost the company thousands of dollars in damages.
Context-aware email systems do not allow phishers to have this kind of power. They work by spotting fake emails. When you receive an email message from a trusted source that looks legitimate, your computer will display a security symbol on the screen. If the message contains the string "from", then you can be reasonably sure that it is not a scam. If the sender uses the words "you must reply" before they send the message, the likelihood of being scammed increases. For more exclusive info on ethical phishing simulation, make sure you see more here .
In order to take advantage of a vulnerability such as this, the attacker must know something about the inner workings of your computer - specifically, the routing information that routes your email address to its final destination. By knowing this information, they can easily construct a realistic look-alike application that will trick you into authorizing the spoofed request. However, even if they cannot actually hijack your account, they can create a large number of back doors for themselves. If they successfully get control of one of your email addresses, they can use it to send confidential company data as well as a huge number of other things. You should always avoid using any application that comes with a spoofing attack, unless you absolutely trust the company that created it.Check out this post that has expounded on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing .