The Israel-Hamas Conflict is the Latest Example of Phishing Attacks Taking Advantage of Current Events
Using something as simple as an attachment with an Israel/Hamas-related filename seems to be all it takes for new social engineering attacks disguised as donation confirmations.
If you were to guess how many new attacks have been launched under the guise of the recent war, it’s probably more than you think. According to security researchers at CheckPoint Software, they’ve discovered over 15,000 examples of attacks using this theming.
Take the example below:
Source: Avanan
While not the most sophisticated email, it’s the HTML attachment that is the clincher for this attack. According to CheckPoint, more than 50% of malicious attachments are HTML files.
Opening the attachment reveals the following fake “locked” Excel document that requires the victim enter in their Microsoft 365 credentials:
Source: Avanan
The tactics used in this example are relatively unsophisticated and unimpressive to those that have been paying attention to the evolution of phishing attacks. But it goes to show that all it takes is a user that hasn’t yet undergone new-school security awareness training. Therefore, when your users aren’t vigilant when interacting with such attacks, they could fall for what appears to be one of the lamest modern phishing efforts I’ve seen.
KnowBe4 enables your workforce to make smarter security decisions every day. Over 65,000 organizations worldwide trust the KnowBe4 platform to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk.
Return To KnowBe4 Security Blog
Free Phishing Security Test
Would your users fall for convincing phishing attacks? Take the first step now and find out before bad actors do. Plus, see how you stack up against your peers with phishing Industry Benchmarks. The Phish-prone percentage is usually higher than you expect and is great ammo to get budget.
Here’s how it works:
- Immediately start your test for up to 100 users (no need to talk to anyone)
- Select from 20+ languages and customize the phishing test template based on your environment
- Choose the landing page your users see after they click
- Show users which red flags they missed, or a 404 page
- Get a PDF emailed to you in 24 hours with your Phish-prone % and charts to share with management
- See how your organization compares to others in your industry
PS: Don’t like to click on redirected buttons? Cut & Paste this link in your browser: https://info.knowbe4.com/phishing-security-test-partner?partnerid=001a000001lWEoJAAW