Simulated phishing tests with an urgent message to check a password immediately are the most effective way of breaching organisations, with 39% of users falling for it.
The results from KnowBe4’s Q4 2019 top-clicked phishing report finds that social media messages are another area of concern when it comes to phishing.
Within the same report, KnowBe4’s top-clicked social media email subjects reveal that LinkedIn messages are the most popular at 55%, followed by Facebook at 28%.
“With more end users becoming security-minded, it’s easy to see how they fall for phishing scams related to changing or checking their passwords,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “They should be especially cautious if an email seems too good to be true, such as a giveaway.
“As identifying phishing attacks from legitimate emails becomes trickier, it’s more important than ever for end users to look for the red flags and think before they click.”
In Q4 2019, KnowBe4 examined tens of thousands of email subject lines from simulated phishing tests. The organisation also reviewed ‘in-the-wild’ email subject lines that show actual emails users received and reported to their IT departments as suspicious.
The top 10 general email subjects are:
* Change of Password Required Immediately – 26%
* Microsoft/Office 365: De-activation of Email in Process – 14%
* Password Check Required Immediately – 13%
* HR: Employees Raises – 8%
* Dropbox: Document Shared With You – 8%
* IT: Scheduled Server Maintenance – No Internet Access – 7%
* Office 365: Change Your Password Immediately – 6%
* Avertissement des RH au sujet de l’usage des ordinateurs personnels – 6%
* Airbnb: New device login – 6%
* Slack: Password Reset for Account – 6%
Investigating ‘in-the-wild’ email subject lines, KnowBe4 found the most common throughout Q4 2019 included:
* SharePoint: Approaching SharePoint Site Storage Limit
* Microsoft: Anderson Hauck has shared a Whiteboard with you
* Office 365: Medium-severity alert: Unusual volume of file deletion
* FedEx: Correct address needed for your package delivery on [[current_date_0]]
* USPS: Your digital receipt is ready
* Twitter: Your Twitter account has been locked
* Google: Please Complete the Required Steps
* Cash App: Your Account Has Been Closed
* Coinbase: Important Please Resolve Error Now
* Would you mind taking a look at this invoice?