How to Spot Phishing Emails

Posted August 25, 2020

According to the 2019 Internet Security Threat Report published by Symantec, mobile ransomware infections increased by 36%, web attacks on endpoints increased by 56%, and 1 in 10 URLs in the survey was deemed malicious. The report found that malicious URLs were used less often as the primary mode of infection and in their place, malicious attachments increased in use. Overall, 48% of malicious email attachments were office files such as .doc, .dot, .rtf, .xls, .xlt and .xia.

The report also found that employees of small organizations were more likely to fall victim to email threats including spam, phishing, and email malware than employees of larger organizations. For organizations small and large, education around current malicious email trends can be the best line of defense along with properly managed threat detection and anti-malware software. Organizations should train employees not to open suspicious files or click on suspicious links. Knowing what types of email subject lines are commonly associated with current threats can help in deciding which emails are suspicious.

The data in the report is extensive, to simplify the findings we’ve provided a quick summary of the most common malicious email subject line keywords taken from the report and compiled by Statista.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.