Beware of Spoofing and How to Protect Yourself

There are things you just know are scary, like a dark room with a single shadeless, exposed light bulb hanging from a bare wire dangling from the ceiling. Put some naked mannequins in there, and you have the perfect spooky set that could even scare clowns.

In the tech world, one thing that should trip your cyber-scary alert is spoofing.

 

What is Spoofing?

Spoofing is a dangerous cyber attack that can cause a lot of harm to individuals and businesses. It occurs when an attacker disguises themselves as a known or trusted source to gain access to sensitive information or systems.

The goal of the criminal is to make you trust them or fool you into thinking something is legitimate. They may do this by changing just one letter, number or symbol so it looks valid at first glance – for example, a fake email from “Disney+” might appear as “disneypplus.com” on your screen!  Or a spoofed email address may use a zero (0) instead of the letter O or substitute an uppercase I for a lowercase L.  This is called a homograph attack or visual spoofing.  And the “it’s too good to be true” is a recurring theme from spoofers.

The spoofing endgame is to trick victims into disclosing personal and financial information, sending money, or downloading malware. It can lead to any or all of the following:

• Infected computers
• Financial fraud
• Identity theft
• Compromised systems and networks
• Data breaches
• Loss of income

And just like a  “Walking Dead” zombie, a single spoofing incident can multiply like a virus spreading malware via links and attachments, bypass network access controls, and restrict access through denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

Email spoofing and phishing scams are often partners in crime.  It occurs when an attacker purports to be a known, familiar or plausible contact by either altering the “From” field to match a trusted reference or mimicking a known contact’s name and email address.  In most email spoofing attacks, the message contains links to malicious websites or infected attachments. These attacks are becoming increasingly common as cybercriminals exploit more sophisticated vulnerabilities in online systems and networks.

How Can I Protect Against Spoofing Attacks?

The spoofer uses scare tactics to get you to react to threats of losing access to an account, an important warning, someone in dire need, or a government notice or summon. So when a suspicious email drops in your inbox, follow the mantra of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “Don’t Panic.”

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from spoofing attacks.

• Verify the source.
  If something seems suspicious, do not hesitate to contact the person or organization directly to confirm their identity.
• Install reputable cybersecurity software.
  It will alert you about potential threats, stop downloads, and prevent malware from taking over.
• Keep your software and security systems up-to-date.
• Turn on and tune up your email’s spam filter.
• Never click on links or open attachments in emails from unknown senders.

If you believe you have been the victim of a spoofing attack, report it to the proper authorities so they can investigate and take appropriate action.  The FCC defines illegal spoofing as having malicious intent. Most organizations provide a forwarding email to send suspicious emails. For example, PayPal, a favorite target of spoofers, wants you to forward the entire email to phishing@paypal.com, then delete it.

There are some acceptable forms of spoofing. It is legal for a medical office or doctor to display a different caller ID number to protect from unwanted return calls.

Spoofing attacks are becoming increasingly common, so it is vital to be aware of them and take steps to protect yourself.  If you think you’re a spoofing victim, resist the fear reaction.  Feel free to contact TecAdvocates if you have any concerns about spoofing or phishing attacks on you or your organization.