Employee satisfaction surveys, failed parcel deliveries and new office evacuation plans. These are some of the most effective “baits” in phishing emails, according to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.
“Phishing” is a specific type of system invasion in which the victim himself, unknowingly, commits some action that allows the hacker to enter. She often clicks on links or attachments with information that seems important, like the one above.
According to Kaspersky, 91% of all cyberattacks on businesses start with a phishing email. This tactic is also responsible for 32% of all successful data breaches.
According to Kaspersky’s training platform, which evaluated more than 29,000 workers in 100 countries, the most effective subject for an employee to click on a suspicious email is an alleged failure to deliver internal mail. See the top 5:
Delivery attempt failed – unfortunately, your item could not be delivered. Sender: Mail delivery service. Conversion per click: 18.5%.
Email undeliverable due to overloaded mail servers. Sender: Google’s support team. Conversion per click: 18%.
Subject: Online Employee Survey: What would you improve in your work at the company. Sender: HR Department. Conversion per click: 18%.
Subject: Reminder: New dress code for the entire company. Sender: Human Resources. Conversion per click: 17.5%.
Subject: Attention to all employees: new building evacuation plan. Sender: Security Department. Conversion per click: 16%.
Interestingly, emails promising free Netflix offers had less than 1% clicks. Direct-threat emails (“I hacked your computer and I know your search history”) work in only 2% of cases.
“Simulating phishing attacks is one of the simplest ways to assess employees’ knowledge and whether they can protect themselves. However, there are significant aspects that must be considered in carrying out this assessment in order for it to have a real impact”, comments Fabio Assolini. , director of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team for Latin America.
