Microsoft Moves Up As Phishers Favorite Target for Brand Spoofing

Researchers compiled a list of the most common brands to impersonate by detecting and analyzing new phishing URLs.

Microsoft is cybercriminals favorite brand to impersonate in phishing attacks, following a 57% increase in phishing URLs detected during Q2 2018, Vade Secure reports.
The boost propelled Microsoft past PayPal and Facebook, which fell into second and third place, respectively, on the inaugural Phishers Favorites list. Researchers tallied the number of new phishing URLs detected in the companys filter engine to compile their list of most commonly spoofed brands.
Microsoft took the top spot because its highly profitable to compromise an Office 365 account, researchers report. Email-based attacks are seen as an easy entry point into a treasure trove of data, files, and contacts from other Office 365 apps, such as OneDrive, SharePoint, and Skype.
PayPal was a distant second due to a 16% increase in phishing URLs; however, it remains heavily targeted as the most broadly used online payment service, with 237 million users. Facebook fell two spots to No. 3 after a 54% decline in phishing URLs. The social media giant has historically been a popular target but is less common after it ramped up security efforts following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Read more details
here
.

Black Hat USA returns to Las Vegas with hands-on technical Trainings, cutting-edge Briefings, Arsenal open-source tool demonstrations, top-tier security solutions and service providers in the Business Hall. Click for information on the
conference
and
to register.

Last News
▸ ArcSight prepares for future at user conference post HP acquisition. ◂ Discovered: 07/01/2025 Category: security	▸ Samsung Epic 4G: First To Use Media Hub ◂ Discovered: 07/01/2025 Category: security	▸ Many third-party software fails security tests ◂ Discovered: 07/01/2025 Category: security

**Cyber Security Categories**
Google Dorks Database	Exploits Vulnerability	Exploit Shellcodes

CVE List

Tools/Apps

News/Aarticles

Phishing Database

Deepfake Detection

Trends/Statistics & Live Infos

Tags:
Microsoft Moves Up As Phishers Favorite Target for Brand Spoofing