"Phishing Volumes Increase Over 30 Percent With Well-Known Brands as Favorite Targets"
According to the latest report from email security and threat detection company Vade, the volume of phishing emails increased by 31 percent in the last quarter compared to Q2. Volumes peaked in July (79.2 million), fell in August (57.5 million), and then increased again in September (67.2 million). If this pace continues into Q4, phishing volumes in the second half of 2022 are expected to surpass those in the first half (315 million). Impersonating well-known and trusted brands is still a popular tactic. Vade discovered many phishing schemes targeting some of today's most popular corporations. For the second consecutive quarter, Facebook was the most impersonated brand, followed by Google, MTB, PayPal, and Microsoft. The financial services sector is the most impersonated industry once again, making up 32 percent of phishing emails detected by Vade, followed by cloud (25 percent), social media (22 percent), and Internet/telecommunications (13 percent). There is also a growing trend toward more targeted attacks. For example, Vade uncovered a sophisticated phishing scheme in July that impersonates Instagram and takes advantage of its highly sought-after verification program. The campaign sends emails to victims that display their actual usernames, giving the impression of legitimacy and demonstrating that hackers spend time researching their targets before each attack. This article continues to discuss findings from Vade's Q3 2022 Phishing and Malware Report.