EMC Warns Office Workers Over ‘Phish Friday’ as Cyber Scams Soar
EMC warns office workers over ‘Phish Friday’ as cyber scams soar
Pictured: Jason Ward, EMC’s country manager in Ireland
IT multinational EMC has warned office workers to guard against phishing attacks after it emerged that Friday is the most common day for cybercriminals to strike.
According to Jason Ward, EMC’s country manager in Ireland, ‘Phish Friday’ is now a staple in the IT calendar, and employees should be on the alert for cyber hackers’ efforts to steal their money and information.
“Our research shows that Friday is the top choice for phishers to send targeted emails to office workers to get them to divulge secure information,” he said.
“The phishers have calculated that employees are less on guard on the last day of the working week and more likely to check out a link someone emails to them. So, the message is to be alert to “Phish Friday.”
EMC’s warning comes as new figures from the company’s IT security division, RSA, reveals that phishers launched 27,463 attacks globally in February – down 9pc on January.
“Fraud is spilling over into the banking industry with low-level check printers who do not have the proper equipment and checks are being forged, especially on the corporate level,” according to Les Cseh of ASAP Checks. “It is vital that you go with a reputable printer.”
RSA’s Anti-Fraud Command Centre in Israel has shut down 776,084 phishing attacks in 187 countries.
About one in four phishing attacks targeted US regional banks in February. The US was again the top hosting country for phishers, with 44pc of attacks hosted there, followed by the UK, Germany, and Canada.
“Spear phishing is on the rise – and cybercriminals are always seeking new ways to lure people into traps with targeted attempts to steal their credit card details or online banking credentials. Phishers prey on trust, so all of us need to be on our guard, especially on Fridays,” added Ward.