chat
expand_more

Email Security More Critical Than Ever as Advanced Email Attacks Spike in May

Abnormal Security saw a significant increase in attacker activity in May 2021. Advanced email threats rose across virtually all industry sectors, with the median rate of advanced email-based attacks increased by 64% between the first and last weeks of May. The bulk...
June 10, 2021

Abnormal Security saw a significant increase in attacker activity in May 2021. Advanced email threats rose across virtually all industry sectors, with the median rate of advanced email-based attacks increased by 64% between the first and last weeks of May. The bulk of this increase was driven by a rise in phishing attacks, which rose by over 150% in this time period.

In addition to increasing the number of email attacks, attackers also focused more efforts on breaching employee email accounts. Between the first and last weeks of May, the rate of confirmed account takeovers increased by 83%. In the same time frame, unsuccessful account takeover attempts, utilizing strategies such as credential stuffing and brute force attacks, increased by 138%.

Combined with the recent increase in high-profile ransomware attacks, this data leads us to believe that we have entered into a period of heightened risk, as cybercriminals are emboldened by the prospect of large financial payouts. A solid cybersecurity strategy is more important than ever for companies and individuals to secure their resources. Practicing good password hygiene, including regularly changing passwords, requiring multi-factor authentication, disabling legacy authentication, and utilizing advanced email protection are all essential as we navigate this new higher-risk landscape.

Discover how Abnormal Security can prevent advanced email attacks at your organization by requesting a demo.

Email Security More Critical Than Ever as Advanced Email Attacks Spike in May

See Abnormal in Action

Schedule a Demo

Get the Latest Email Security Insights

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on the latest attacks and new trends in the email threat landscape.

 

See the Abnormal Solution to the Email Security Problem

Protect your organization from the full spectrum of email attacks with Abnormal.

See a Demo
 
Integrates Insights Reporting 09 08 22

Related Posts

B Disney Attack Blog
This Disney+ scam email uses brand impersonation and personalization to send a convincing fake subscription charge notice.
Read More
B 2024 Cybersecurity Predictions
As AI becomes more prevalent in the new year, discover how our experts believe the world will change—for both good and bad.
Read More
B 11 27 23 ATO Stats
Account takeover allows threat actors to steal sign-in credentials and access an organization's network. Read some eye-popping stats about ATO cost and frequency.
Read More
B Unmasking Vendor Fraud
Learn about the techniques, tools, and technologies we use to train the models that form the backbone of our vendor fraud detection.
Read More
B ISC2
Get the latest insights from the 2023 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, including which skills are most sought-after, how careers have changed, and how AI is affecting the industry.
Read More
B Good Bad Ugly Future of AI
Hear about positive and malicious use cases of AI and how to protect against novel threats in this recap from Chapter 3 of our Convergence of AI + Cybersecurity series.
Read More