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94% of all malware is delivered via email. Why is that? What makes email platforms such a popular vector for malware distribution?
Cybercriminals Prefer Email
It’s ubiquitous, and almost everyone uses email for personal and professional communication. With billions of accounts worldwide, attackers have countless opportunities to reach potential victims.
This massive user base provides cybercriminals with an enormous potential target pool. Meanwhile, crafting and sending malicious emails is relatively easy and inexpensive. Cyber criminals can reach a large number of potential victims with minimal effort when they use platforms to spam their targets.
They often impersonate trusted brands or individuals to appear legitimate. This increases the likelihood that recipients will open the email and follow the malicious instructions.
This versatility allows attackers to adapt their methods to different targets and objectives, such as:
- Malicious attachments (Word documents, PDFs, executable files)
- Embedded links to infected websites
- HTML-based communications can execute scripts
- Spoofed sender addresses that look legitimate
Weaknesses in Email Platforms
These online mailing systems have inherent vulnerabilities that make unencrypted platforms very dangerous. Modern email-based malware attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can exploit common technical risk factors, such as:
- Complex protocols with multiple potential exploit points
- Challenges in real-time verification of sender authenticity
- Difficulty in comprehensively scanning all attachments and links
- Legacy email systems with outdated security measures
- Traditional security filters that can’t handle multi-stage attacks
While it’s an essential communication tool, it’s also a significant potential security risk that requires constant vigilance and sophisticated defense strategies.
The Allure of Social Engineering
Many successful attacks exploit human behavior, such as curiosity or a sense of urgency. Phishers often use social engineering tactics to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links or downloading infected attachments. Emails are particularly effective for social engineering attacks. Cybercriminals can craft convincing messages that:
- Appear to come from trusted sources like banks, colleagues, or familiar organizations
- Create a sense of urgency
- Exploit human psychology by triggering emotions like fear, curiosity, or anxiety.
- Manipulate recipients into taking quick, thoughtless actions, such as clicking a link or downloading an attachment.
Sending large scalel campaigns is incredibly cheap. Cyber criminals can use automated tools to send thousands of emails with minimal investment, making it a cost-effective method for distributing malware.
Despite ongoing educational efforts, many users still fall for phishing scams. This lack of awareness makes it a reliable method for cybercriminals.
To best combat email-based attacks, we need equally strong prevention tactics. That means using encrypted communication platforms for sensitive data, implementing multi-factor authentication on all your accounts, and attentively participating in regularly scheduled cybersecurity awareness training. Understanding these threats is the best way to remain vigilant against suspicious messages and maintain up-to-date security procedures.
Understanding these factors can help in developing better defenses against these threats. Regular training, robust email security solutions, and a healthy dose of skepticism can go a long way in protecting against these attacks.
Commonwealth Sentinel is here to help you navigate the ever-evolving and growing cyber security threats we all face. We can evaluate your existing IT security and work with your team to improve it. At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things. Contact us today or sign up for a free consultation.