Ways to identify spear phishing attack
The user needs to seek answers to the following questions when they receive an email with a suspicious link or attachment, to identify if it is spear phishing.
- Who is the sender?
- User who is usually an employee should verify with the source whether it has definitely come from said person.
- Is the style of writing consistent with the sender?
- User/ employee should have keen eye to observe and analyze if the approach made by sender is familiar one or is it something different.
- Does anything appear unusual about the tone, spelling or urgency of the email?
- User needs to assess if there is an unusual request or urgency expressed in the mail for some details or information.
- Is the request irrelevant (e.g., to open a file the user wasn’t expecting)?
- User should assess if the request made is relevant or irrelevant and one that seems fishy/phishy.
- Have other colleagues received a similar email?
- Cross verify with other colleagues if they have received similar mails.