Microsoft tops list of most imitated brands for phishing attempts in Q3 2020

815
SHARE

Horowitz  added, “As always, we encourage users to be cautious when divulging personal data and credentials to business applications, and to think twice before opening email attachments or links, especially emails that claim to from companies, such as Microsoft or Google, who are most likely to be impersonated.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of the workplace in the United States and other countries worldwide. The technology quickly became the leading industry for fraudulent activity with banking and social media following closely. Technology’s ascension to the top spot for phishing scams further correlates with COVID-19.

Brand phishing attacks are cases where scammers utilize replica URL’s and domain names to mirror real websites and trick users into providing compromising information such as login info and bank account specifics.

Looking more closely at impersonated brands, DHL has risen to second place with 9% of phishing attempts while Google followed closely behind. The list also included Paypal and Netflix at 6%, Facebook, Apple, and WhatsApp at 5% while Amazon and Instagram at 4%.