Hackers are ready for the holidays too!

How much shopping do you plan on doing in the coming weeks? If you’re like most people, probably a lot! Well in that same trend, hackers are planning their own “shopping trips” on your dime. This year we have seen a major hike in Phishing and Ransomware Attacks. The percentage of Phishing attacks containing Ransomware is also rapidly increasing. More than 97 percent of phishing emails now contain Ransomware.

So why are we telling you this?

We are expecting to see a massive spike in Phishing attacks this holiday season. With inboxes flooding with sales and coupons, it’s the perfect time to deploy a spoof email to trick users into clicking that tempting “70% off” coupon.

Be on the lookout for too-good-to-be-true emails or any branding that looks a little off. These are usually good signs to hold off on clicking any links or especially downloading any attachments.

What do you do?

Check your emails scrupulously. Look at every sender’s address before clicking anything. Make sure the domain matches the official website’s domain.

Also, Hover over every link before clicking to make sure that it directs you to the correct domain as well.

Check for branding differences. Do the colors look a little off? Is the logo wrong? Sometimes this part takes hackers the longest to perfect, so it can be the easiest way to spot a fake.

Take care when opening e-Cards from friends, family, and businesses. (We are planning to send one out, so they aren’t all malicious ?)

And finally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You know your stores and retailers; don’t click on anything that is way out of the norm for their promotions. And especially, do not click on links from unknown senders or stores you’ve never heard of, because we promise, that iPad isn’t really 95% off today only!

And as always, if you have any questions, please email us at websupport@cbm.technology