We wrap up our three-part series sharing real-world examples of impersonation fraud with a look at a municipal cyber attack. Below is an example of such an attack, along with explanations of the methods of attack and appropriate responses.
Impersonation Protection is a cybersecurity solution designed to protect organizations from email-based impersonation attacks. These attacks typically involve cybercriminals pretending to be trusted individuals or entities. They use social-engineering tactics to deceive recipients into taking harmful actions, such as revealing sensitive information, transferring funds, or clicking on malicious links.
Impersonation Attack on a Municipality
A city official receives an email that appears to be from the municipality’s IT department. The email instructs the official to log in to a new portal to complete mandatory cybersecurity training.
Methods of Attack
- Phishing Link: The email includes a link to a fake portal designed to capture login credentials. The website mimics the official IT department’s portal closely.
- Urgency and Authority: The email uses the authority of the IT department and the urgency of mandatory training to prompt quick compliance without verification.
Outcome:
The city official, trusting the email’s legitimacy, clicks the link and enters their credentials on the fake portal. The attacker captures these credentials and uses them to access the municipality’s internal systems. These allow him to access sensitive municipal data, disrupt operations, and potentially gain access to citizen records.
Applying Lessons Learned:
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Implement 2FA for all municipal accounts to provide an additional layer of security against credential theft.
Verification Processes: Establish procedures for verifying the authenticity of emails requesting sensitive actions, such as logging into portals or providing credentials.
Phishing Awareness: Conduct regular training for municipal employees on identifying and reporting phishing attempts.
Email Security: Use advanced email security solutions to detect and block phishing emails before they reach employees’ inboxes.
Incident Response: Have a comprehensive incident response plan in place. This will allow your organization to quickly address breaches, including immediate credential changes and system audits to prevent further damage.
Government offices, water supplies and utility infrastructures are just a few of the areas that can be under great threat from municipal cyber attack. A robust cybersecurity plan uses AI-Based Comprehensive Threat Detection, Real-Time Protection, Brand Monitoring, User Awareness Training and Incident Response to mitigate risk and address vulnerabilities. Organizations who utilize such tools ensure an increase in Security, Operational Efficiency, Employee Protection, Regulatory Compliance and Scalability.
By leveraging advanced technologies and providing robust complimentary defense mechanisms, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with impersonation attacks and enhance overall cybersecurity resilience. Please feel free to contact Team BTS for more information on how Impersonation Protection can benefit your business.
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