Spoofing is an email scam that tricks victims into giving away sensitive personal information. It is often the doorway to a system breach. Learn how to recognize and protect yourself from spoofing.

 

What is Spoofing?

Spoofing occurs when the attacker pretends to be another entity, such as a person or a business, for the purpose of committing a crime. The technological implementation of spoofing involves websites, phone calls, and emails, or more sophisticated approaches like spoofed Domain Name Servers (DNS), IP addresses, or Address Resolution Protocols (ARP).

The main goals of spoofing are to illegally acquire confidential data, steal money, spread malware, bypass network security through malicious links or attachments, or redirect traffic to perform a denial-of-service attack. Cybercriminals often employ spoofing attacks to obtain key information to launch larger attacks, such as a man-in-the-middle attack or an advanced persistent threat. To steal an individual’s identity and assets, hackers attempt spoofing through every channel of online communication.

If successful, spoofing scams can result in infected computers and networks, security breaches, and potentially significant financial losses. The public reputations of companies can be affected by these threats. Moreover, spoofing that causes traffic to be redirected can disable networks and send unsuspecting users to malicious websites that spread malware and steal information.

 

How Does Spoofing Work?

In spoofing, a cybercriminal tricks the user into believing they are interacting with a legitimate party. The unwitting user has no idea that the transaction in which they are participating in good faith is a fraud. The con takes the form of anyone from the victim’s known sources, like a colleague, a brand, or a vendor. Because the victim believes they are dealing with an authorized entity, they willingly accept the spoofer’s request to give away private information, leading to identity theft or money fraud. It takes only one unguarded click to get started.

Once the user clicks on the inviting link, the trap is sprung. They are sent to a website that also appears to be legitimate. The website they visit, however, is a forgery. Through this bogus website, the hacker watches all the user’s actions. For example, the website prompts the user to enter their login credentials to access the site. Once they enter their password, the perpetrator immediately grabs that information and uses it to access the victim’s account on the real website. While the unsuspecting user tries repeatedly to get past the spoofed login page to access their account, the hacker is using their credentials on the real website to glean as much information as possible before the victim realizes what has happened. Hours, days, or even weeks later, when the victim figures out that they’ve been hacked, they are left with nothing but regret.

One of the favorite tactics employed by attackers is to spoof emails in order to lure victims into phishing scams. Other spoofing attacks target networks instead of individuals with the intention of extracting information, distributing malware, preparing for larger attacks, or bypassing network security.

 

What Does a Spoofing Attack Look Like?

A hacker may, for example, design a fraudulent email that appears to come from Paypal. In the email, the user is told that they must click the provided link or else their account will be terminated. The link leads them to a webpage that asks the user to immediately verify their identity and change their password. The unsuspecting victim enters valuable information, such as their birth date, Social Security Number, and credit card number and expiration date. In changing their password, they reveal their original Paypal password. The hacker now has access to the user’s PayPal account and can withdraw funds, buy products from online vendors, change the user’s PayPal password to lock them out of their account, and otherwise create havoc for the victim.

PayPal is not the only source for attackers. Any legitimate website can be forged, including your own company website. Furthermore, the fake email can be made to appear as though it came from your boss, a human resource executive, your company’s CEO, or a senior executive in the finance department.

Though the bogus email may seem authentic, there are always loose ends that you can look for to tell whether the communication is real or a fraud.

 

What to Look for in Spoofing Attacks?

The easiest way to stop spoofing attacks is to keep an eye out for indications that you are being spoofed. The forged emails themselves contain telltale warnings that they are not genuine and should not be interacted with.

Check if the Display Name Matches the ‘From’ Email Address.

Even though the ‘From’ email address appears to be authentic at first glance, by examining the email header closely, you may be able to tell that the display name is not the same as the sender’s email address. The address domain name may be similar to but not exactly the same as the legitimate sender’s address. For example, the real person’s address might be joe@alliedfreight.com, but the spoofer’s address is joe@alliesfreight.com. Unless you pay close attention, you might miss the minor change.

Compare the Header in the ‘Reply-To’ Section to that in the Source.

Email scams can also lure you with huge discounts on appliances, smartphones, and vacations. Even though it is hard to ignore such discounts, it is best to delete them. The chances are high that the email is from bad actors who are phishing for your credentials.

Look for Grammatical and Spelling Errors.

When you receive an email, the Reply-To line is usually hidden. You may easily overlook it when responding. Open and verify the Reply-To section before you send a reply message to make sure it reflects the email address or website you intend to send it to. If it’s not, chances are the email is forged.

How to Stay Protected from a Spoofing Attack?

To protect yourself from spoofing attacks, practice the following guidelines. These points will help both you and your organization to avoid serious calamities.

Remind Your Employees to Remain Vigilant.

Employees should be taught how to detect spoofing attacks and stay alert whenever they receive an email. This is especially true if the email comes from an unexpected source. Your employees should learn the tactics described above to detect fraudulent messages.

Take Advantage of Spam Filters.

Many spoofing attacks can be thwarted by email spam filters. The filters provided by most commercial email systems can stop many attacks from getting to your inbox.

Watch Out for Strange Links and Attachments.

The link or attachment in a spoofing email could contain malware that can negatively impact the entire network of your company. If you or an employee click on the link or open the attachment, it could create a virus that spreads through your network and attacks your servers and databases.

 

How Does Trustifi’s Inbound Shield Protect from Spoofing Attack?

 

Trustifi provides advanced protection against cyber threats to an organization’s email system. Trustifi features the Inbound Shield that acts as an email filter. As soon as Trustifi’s Inbound Shield is deployed to your company’s email system, sophisticated AI software begins scanning every email received by your server. Each incoming email is placed in a sandbox where Inbound Shield’s multi-layered detection scans everything about the email including sender, email subject, content, links, and attachments. To be deemed safe, an email must pass all tests at each layer.

The email is scanned in 3 parts and has a unique and advanced approach for each part.

Email Content and Headers

Links – Advanced Methods to Catch the Most Sophisticated Phishing Sites

Files – Deep Scanning

Learn how you can protect yourself and your company with Trustifi’s Inbound Shield. Contact a Trustifi representative today to view a demo and see how simply and affordably Inbound Shield can safeguard your systems.