back to article Phishing: Another thing we can blame on Brexit

Ransomware attacks are increasingly focusing on organisations that are more likely to pay up, such as healthcare, government, critical infrastructure, education, and small businesses. Phishing volume grew by an average of more than 33 per cent across the five most-targeted industries, according to a study by PhishLabs out …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Really?

    "Ransomware attacks are increasingly focusing on organisations that are more likely to pay up, such as healthcare, government, critical infrastructure"

    Really? Inside of the Europe how many bits of Government have you read about paying ransomware?

  2. Commswonk

    Oh perleees...

    Phishing volume peaked mid-year due to the influence of major global events, such as Brexit, and a spike in virtual web server compromises.

    And the evidence for this assertion is what exactly.

    Correlation is not causation, as any fule kno.

    1. AndyS

      Re: Oh perleees...

      > And the evidence for this assertion is what exactly

      Simple. People running phishing attacks are looking for idiots.

      Middle of the year, Brexit happened, which let them know the UK is a ripe target - attacks increased.

      Later in the year, Trump happened, which showed them an even riper one - attacks declined.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh perleees...

        How, prey tell, do political events affect the prevalence of ransomware?

        Except of course in the reverse - one would assume that better economic conditions would lead to more ransomware attacks as more people have more spare cash to consider paying the ransom.

        How do you believe that planning to tell the EU that we plan to leave the EU at a future date cause an uptick in these crimes?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh perleees...

          Some article writers can't resist the temptation to insert their personal biases and conceits into the articles they write. It's an occupational disease.

          1. jake Silver badge

            Re: Oh perleees...

            In some species of mayflies, the adults survive for, what seems to us, at least, incredibly short periods of time, some only about a day. In this time period they emerge from the water, mate, lay eggs and die.

            In fact, their order name, Ephemeroptera, comes from the seemingly ephemeral nature of their existence.

            However, this does not take into account the fact that, prior to their emergence into the air, they have been living for months as water nyads (nymphs), gaily gamboling beneath the surface of streams and ponds, feeding, ever feeding, waiting for the day when they make their way through the surface film, wiggle free of their juvenile, aquatic bonds, gracefully take flight ... and get laid.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oh perleees...

      I think we need a Brexit version of Godwin's Law...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh perleees...

        >I think we need a Brexit version of Godwin's Law...

        I herby nominate the title to be Farage's Law (q.v. Trump's Law, however that may be an oxymoron)

        Any other suggestions ?

    3. P. Lee

      Re: Oh perleees...

      Well, if the content of the phishing emails was referencing major political events, that might be an indicator. Having control of a large number of virtual servers would also lead to a larger number of destination URL hosts - larger phishing campaigns.

      That said, I tend to see multiple (almost) identical phishing emails which I would have thought gives the game away. Having my own domain and giving everyone their own email address for me helps. Is Natwest sending me emails using the address "todaysluckyvisitor@mydomain.com"? Probably not. Deliberately mis-spelling my name on contact forms is funny and indicates systems I should not be caring about.

      Also, do not click on links in emails.

  3. Voland's right hand Silver badge

    They are getting better

    They are now using postcodes and phones out of hacked retailer databases to make emails look realistic.

    The only give away is the use of hacked Sharepoint sites and the lack of spaces between "." and the capitals. Otherwise the mail looks 100% like a legit order from a site you never heard before. It has your name, address and phone.

    1. Amorous Cowherder

      Re: They are getting better

      Exactly what i was thinking. It's not that we're becoming more gullible, it's that the scum are getting a little more practiced. They know full well that anyone with a good grasp of English can spot a dodgy email a mile off. Basic security education is being nagged into Joe Sixpack in every media outlet day in, day out. The scum now need to up their game to catch more marks, so they use genuine addresses, proper logos, correct English, genuine emails and with the prevelance of cheap dumps of genuine data stolen from large corps on a regular basis, it's possible to put genuine names and contact details on emails that could fool most people.

      The days when you'd read, "I come Nigeria as prince. You get big $1,000,000 for give me 1 thousand dollar sent by Paypal.", are long gone.

  4. Ilsa Loving

    Not Brexit per se...

    This happens *any* time something eventful occurs. Doesn't matter what it is. The second something major hits the news, suddenly Phishing emails involving said something suddenly start crawling out of the woodwork.

    These people are nothing if not opportunist.

  5. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    "ikely to pay up,..healthcare, government, critical infrastructure, education, small businesses."

    "Extortion is my business"

    Signed

    E.S. Blowfeld.

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: "extortion is my business"

      The name is Blofeld, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

      You want to watch that; people have ended up as cat food for less.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'll bet

    Trump has the beeeeest walware on his machine.

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