Last week the FBI issued a warning about an increase in spear-phishing attacks targeting multiple industry sectors. Spear-phishing is one of the main tools used by attackers to compromise endpoints and gain a foothold in the enterprise network. The attacker utilises a specially crafted email message that lures users to perform an action that will result in malware infection, credentials theft, or both. This is often the first step that enables Advance Persistent Threats (APTs) and targeted attacks. As the FBI warning explains: “Often, the e-mails contain accurate information about victims obtained via a previous intrusion or from data posted on social networking sites, blogs, or other websites. This information adds a veneer of legitimacy to the message, increasing the chances the victims will open the e-mail and respond as directed.”
Compromising User Endpoints
Spear-phishing emails often result in drive-by downloads: a silent malware download that takes place in the background, without the user’s awareness. Drive-by downloads are enabled by vulnerabilities in user applications like browsers (or browser plug-ins), Java applications, Adobe Acrobat and more. Exploiting unpatched, or unknown, zero-day vulnerabilities, attackers can download malware to the user’s machine while user remains unaware of the download. The attacker can then use a compromised device gain access to the corporate network, steal intellectual property and compromise operational systems and/or financial assets. The FBI explains that: “In spear-phishing attacks, cyber criminals target victims because of their involvement in an industry or organization they wish to compromise.”
Spear-Phishing Pays Off
Employee endpoints have become the path of least resistance into the enterprise network. In the past, it was believed that proper user education would prevent phishing attacks. However, despite the significant time and resources invested in education programs, spear-phishing attacks continue to be successful. This is mainly because attackers use information gained through social engineering to personalize the spear-phishing messages and convince targeted users that the message is legitimate.
Combating Spear-Phishing and Targeted Attacks
It is impossible to prevent enterprise users from opening email attachments or opening email links since it is a routine part of their everyday activity. As long as our lives are dependent on online information, spear-phishing will remain a threat.
In order to effectively stop spear-phishing attacks, organizations must prevent drive-by downloads and protect enterprise credentials. Trusteer Apex offers Exploit Prevention technology which successfully stops drive-by downloads and exploitation of application vulnerabilities that result in malware infections. Exfiltration Prevention technology blocks information theft and prevents the attacker from gaining remote control over employee endpoints. Finally, Credential Protection ensures that enterprise users do not submit and expose their credentials on phishing-sites.