Email attacks are a kind of hostile attack in which the attacker uses email to infiltrate the victim’s privacy, extract sensitive data, or cause some measure of distress. This kind of attack uses the email messaging system as a channel for the spread of spam and malware and even executes phishing attacks.
As a result, the attackers will often pose as legitimate senders to trick unsuspecting victims into clicking on harmful links which in turn infect their systems with malware capable of stealing sensitive data.
Examples of email attacks
- Phishing: Here, the attacker sends out fraudulent emails to trick the recipient into opening corrupted attachments or a suspicious link. If they do either, their systems are infected with malware capable of extracting every bit of sensitive information and relaying it to the attacker.
- Clone phishing: In this type of attack, the hacker clones a legitimate email from a reputable sender but replaces the real content or attachment with their malicious versions to trick the target into interacting with it.
- Email spoofing: Email spoofing involves the hacker creating fake email header fields, which make it look like the email is from a known sender.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): In this kind of attack, the attackers pretend to be someone, a high-ranking and trusted official of a company to deceive the staff into revealing confidential information about the company.
How to prevent email attacks
- Don’t open any emails from senders you haven’t verified.
- Be cautious of unsolicited emails requesting private information.
- Do not open attachments or click on links from senders you can’t recognize.
- Regularly update your antimalware software.
- Install email filters that block phishing attempts and spam.
- Acquaint yourself and your team with all the latest email scam tactics.
