Phishing attacks remain a significant threat to organizations across a variety of industries, where threat actors disguise malicious emails as legitimate messages from trusted brands in an attempt to trick users into divulging sensitive information or installing malware.
A multi-year survey by Cofense has highlighted phishing campaigns that impersonated trusted brands across the top 10 industries they serve, with Microsoft being the most impersonated brand.
Cofense found that 92.87% of the phishing emails it analyzed targeted Microsoft users, followed by Adobe and Webmail, which accounted for 3.53% and 1.62%, respectively.
Be wary of Microsoft emails
Microsoft phishing is highly versatile, Cofense warned, with the emails mimicking everything from multi-factor authentication (MFA) requests to shared document alerts. The familiarity of Microsoft-related emails makes it easy for attackers to craft convincing phishing attempts.
In the financial and insurance sector, where there is a strong reliance on document exchange for firms, Adobe is the second most attacked brand in this sector, behind Microsoft. DHL and Meta are also common targets.
In the manufacturing and mining sectors, Microsoft, Adobe and Webmail top the list. However, it is interesting to note that China Union Pay, a Chinese payment service, and the South African Post Office are among the top five counterfeit brands in this sector.
In the retail sector, Microsoft and Adobe continue to dominate, however, due to the logistics nature of the retail industry, DHL comes in third. Canada Post, a key logistics provider, also appears on the list, emphasizing the focus on supply chain and delivery-related phishing campaigns.
Even in specific sectors such as real estate, utilities and transportation, Microsoft and Adobe are frequently victims of phishing. Instagram is also a target for phishing, as attackers often try to hijack social media accounts with large followings to spread scams and malware.
Microsoft and Adobe once again top the list in the healthcare sector, but since this industry requires frequent use of file sharing, Dropbox and Docusign are often impersonated to trick healthcare workers into providing access to sensitive patient data.
Phishing emails often mimic legitimate messages from well-known companies, making it easier for attackers to trick users into clicking on malicious links or providing sensitive information. It's critical to verify the authenticity of any unexpected emails from such brands and to be on the lookout for phishing signs, such as suspicious links, unknown senders, or requests for personal information.
