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What Makes A Spam Trend?

Are the CNN and MSNBC spam emails that are going around at present a trend? Yes – this is an example of ‘brand jacking’, i.e. it leverages a popular and trusted brand. These particular examples also use another trend – current events. Eye-catching headlines around current events, particularly things like the Olympics and the US Presidential race, can make people click a link before they think about it - and when the email appears to come from a reputable sender, the likelihood of falling for it rapidly increases .

We are getting much better at not opening attachments from users we don’t know so the spammers have moved on. Social engineering is the biggest weapon in the cyber-criminals’ arsenal and one of the easiest to beat. Rapid communication and education as to new threats is critically important. An email to staff on the new trend, just to make them think twice about clicking a link in an email is a worthwhile investment. All staff need to become security aware – it’s not just a job for IT.

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