A recent report into Phishing scams discovered that as many as 85% of organisations have been the subject of a sustained targeted campaign with 30% of fake emails being opened and clicked. Little wonder that malicious email attachments and links are two of the top three malware delivery mechanisms of choice for attackers. Fortunately advances in technology now allow for even the most evasive of malware to be detected and quarantined before any harm can begin to users' machines.
However, as with any game of cat and mouse, new techniques and variants are employed to exploit vulnerabilities found on unsecured devices such as mobile phones. The attacker uses SMS messaging as the delivery mechanism for a scam known as SMishing.
SMishing uses social engineering to fool users into thinking they have a message from a legitimate organisation such as a bank, and encourages them to click a link that may contain malware or a compromised app. This technique is highly effective as you’re more inclined to trust a text message than an email.
Most people are aware of the security risks involved with clicking on links in emails - this is less true when it comes to text messages.
Check Point has announced the launch of the latest innovation in mobile security technology with their Sand Blast Mobile Solution - read more: https://www.checkpoint.com/products/sandblast-mobile/
Speak to Ultima to find out more about our Security, Assurance and Compliance offerings that help protect your users and corporate data.
- By Martin Collins (Head of Network and Security)
