Microsoft Tops Brands Phishers Prefer

Microsoft is the most popular brand targeted for phishing attack abuse, followed by Facebook, Crédit Agricole, WhatsApp, and Orange, according to newly released research. 

The team at Vade has put together its "Phishers' Favorites" report for the first half of 2022. The report names Microsoft as the brand of choice for lures because of widespread use of Microsoft 365 applications by businesses of all sizes, as well as the veritable buffet of possible attacks a threat actor could launch for a compromised account, including ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and more. 

Additional findings in the phishing attack overview shows financial services is the most targeted sector for phishing attacks, with cloud, e-commerce/logistics, telecom, and social media following just behind. 

“Detecting phishing emails is difficult not only for users but also for security vendors,” the phishing report explains. “As the sophistication of attacks increases, so does the likelihood that a costly attack will bypass security and land in an inbox.”