Cloning in cybersecurity is a type of phishing where an attacker creates a cloned version of a legitimate email or website to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. The aim is to compromise the security of the recipient’s device and gain access to their personal data.
Attackers use various techniques such as sending phishing emails with malicious attachments, creating fake login pages that appear similar to legitimate ones, and using social engineering tactics to convince victims into providing confidential information.
Cloning Vs. Phishing
Unlike traditional phishing attacks which usually rely on generic emails and attachments, cloning in cybersecurity is more targeted and sophisticated. Thus, the key difference between traditional phishing and cloning lies in the level of personalization involved.
While regular phishers cast a wide net hoping to catch some unsuspecting victims, “clone phishing” – as it is sometimes called – takes time to research targets carefully before crafting convincing emails or websites tailored specifically for intended targets.
This has led to instances where even security experts fell victim to these attacks despite being knowledgeable about online scams. One of the highest-profile incidents involving cloning in cybersecurity such as the 2016 Yahoo hack where attackers used cloned cookies (small files stored on your device) to compromise millions of accounts.
How Cloning in Cybersecurity Works
The process of a typical cloning in cybersecurity attack involves:
- Cloning a legitimate website or creating a spoofed email.
- Compromising by adding malware or attaching malicious files.
- Sending the fake message to the victim.
Techniques used by attackers include creating sense of urgency in their messages and impersonating trusted executives or contacts to gain user trust.
Industries or organizations that deal with financial transactions (banks, credit card companies), healthcare providers, and government agencies are particularly vulnerable to clone phishing attacks due to the sensitivity of the information they handle. Attackers may also target individuals who work remotely using personal devices without adequate security measures in place.
As you can imagine, the risks of clone phishing are significant for individuals and organizations alike. Financial loss may result from stolen bank account details, while sensitive corporate data could be used by competitors for industrial espionage.
Here are some specific ways that cloning in cybersecurity phishing attacks may lead to financial loss:
- Credential Theft through Fake Login Pages: When users enter their login information into a fake page created by cybercriminals, this information is captured and used for unauthorized access to sensitive accounts.
- Fraudulent Transactions using Stolen Data: With stolen credentials and other personal data (such as credit card numbers), cybercriminals may carry out unauthorized transactions. Victims may lose large sums of money before realizing what has happened.
- Reputational Damage: If your organization suffers from a successful clone phishing attack resulting in financial loss, it could tarnish your reputation with customers or stakeholders.
- Legal Costs: In cases where victims seek legal recourse against organizations that failed to prevent such an incident from occurring, the associated legal fees could be substantial.
Social Engineering
Social engineering tactics are commonly used in cloning in cybersecurity attacks to gain access to sensitive information. Attackers use tactics like pretexting, baiting or tailgating to deceive users into revealing their login details or other confidential information.
Cloning emails can be difficult to detect because they appear identical to legitimate emails from trusted sources. Attackers often mimic the branding, logos and language of legitimate companies or individuals making it challenging for users to distinguish between a genuine email and a fake one. This highlights the importance of brand protection and having robust email filters in place which can help identify potential threats before they reach end-users’ inbox.
Lack of user awareness about clone phishing increases the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information. Many employees lack knowledge about cyber security risks such as this which makes them more vulnerable targets for attackers looking for ways into organizations’ networks.
It is important for IT security professionals to carry out phishing awareness campaigns to educate employees on how these attacks work and provide training on how to identify and prevent them from occurring.
How to Spot Clone Phishing Emails
Speaking of awareness, cloning in cybersecurity phishing emails can be difficult to detect, but there are signs that you can look out for.
Firstly, check the sender’s email address carefully. Scammers often use similar-sounding or slightly altered email addresses in an attempt to trick you into thinking it’s from a legitimate source. Fraudulent email addresses may be almost identical to real ones, but with a slight variation in spelling or punctuation.
Compare received email addresses with known legitimate email addresses. Meaning, if you receive an unexpected message from someone claiming to represent your bank, check the official website or previous correspondence from them and compare their email address.
Secondly, pay attention to any grammar and spelling errors in the email. Legitimate companies typically have strict quality controls on their communications and don’t make careless mistakes. Cybercriminals often use automated tools which can result in unusual sentence structures or phrasing that may seem off to a human reader. Additionally, poorly translated emails should also raise red flags.
Finally, before clicking on any links or downloading attachments, verify them carefully by hovering over the link or attachment with your mouse cursor. If the URL looks suspicious or unfamiliar, do not click it and report it as a potential phishing attempt instead.
You can also use an anti-virus program to scan any downloaded attachments. Even if you’re familiar with the sender, it’s still necessary to scan files for viruses before opening them. An anti-virus program will help detect and remove any potential threats from downloaded files, safeguarding your system against clone phishing attacks and other cyber threats.
Preventing Cloning in Cybersecurity Phishing Attacks
While spotting attacks is one thing, preventing cloning in cybersecurity is another. To prevent clone phishing attacks, organizations need to implement multi-factor authentication and email security protocols. This includes using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify emails before they reach employee inboxes.
Another important step is for companies to closely monitor their domains for signs of fraud or spoofing. This can be done through continuous monitoring of domain registration records and use of tools that detect unauthorized changes in DNS settings.
By taking these preventive measures, organizations can greatly reduce the risk of falling victim to clone phishing attacks which could result in stolen data or financial losses.
How Bolster Can Help
Bolster’s domain monitoring solutions and other defensive strategies will protect your company from phishing attacks on your domain. Bolster balances domain acquisition with monitoring to reduce the likelihood of cyberattacks and manage security costs.
Additionally, Bolster will remain proactive and monitor the security threat landscape to keep your domain safeguarded. With Bolster’s help, your brand’s reputation will remain protected.
Request a demo of our domain monitoring software today, or start with a complimentary and customized Domain Risk Report to see what domain risks we detect for your organization.
Also, check out our community tool CheckPhish which acts as a free URL scam checker.
