Fake Emails, Pretexting Phishing, Spoofed URLs – It’s All Typosquatting

Q: How do security technologies help prevent these types of attacks?

Modern security technologies play a key role in defending against typosquatting and related hacks. For instance, web filtering tools can block access to known malicious domains, while email security systems can detect and stop phishing attempts that use spoofed URLs. DNS security protocols like DNSSEC help protect against DNS spoofing and pharming. Furthermore, multifactor authentication adds an extra layer of protection, making it more difficult for attackers to misuse stolen credentials even if a user falls for a typosquatting scam.

Maybe you’ve never heard of typosquatting, but chances are, you might have already been a victim of it. The practice is known by many names, including spoofing, pretexting phishing, URL hijacking, fake URLs, sting sites, fake email and many others. In essence, typosquatting is a cyberattack in which cybercriminals impersonate real domains so they can spread malware and commit fraud. The hackers register domains with names that look almost like the real ones. Such spoofed URLs of legitimate domains increase their chances of fooling you. Would you notice if you received a news item from a website that looks just like the home page of CNN.com, except it actually reads CNM.com? Maybe you’d catch it. But what if you didn’t?

The FBI says, “Criminals count on being able to manipulate you into believing that these fake emails and fake URLs are real, which can lead you to download malicious software, send money or disclose personal, financial or other sensitive information.” The bureau has also seen a 400% increase in small business cybercrime reports in the last 5 years, and the number of cybercrimes continues to increase, and that includes everything from pretext phishing to spoofed URLs.

The key to defeating such attacks? Ask yourself, “Is this a real website?” and think before you click.

Q: What is typosquatting and why is it dangerous?

A: Typosquatting, also known as URL hijacking, is a form of cyberattack where attackers register domain names that are slight misspellings or variations of legitimate websites. These fake domains can trick users into visiting malicious websites that look identical to the real ones, often to steal login credentials, distribute malware or commit fraud. The danger lies in how easily people mistype URLs and unknowingly land on harmful sites, making typosquatting a powerful tool for phishing and identity theft.

What Are Some Typical Fake and Spoofed Techniques Cybercriminals Use?

Popular approaches hackers employ to get inside SMB networks include:

Minor Changes to a Top-level Domain – If the actual URL is www.abcd.co.us, the hacker might drop the “.co”, thereby changing it to www.abcd.us. That slight change is enough for the fake URL to be successful. One missing or incorrect character is enough to change the URL to a different address, where the perpetrator of the hack wants you to go
A Simple Misspelling of the Target Domain – Some misspellings are hard to catch, as mentioned above. Amazon.com looks an awful lot like Anazon.com. That incorrect spelling is all it would take for the attack to be successful
Adding or Combining Words – It’s hard to know the precise URLs and email protocols of all the sites you interact with. Would you know a fake email from alerts@XYZ-resources.com was not the same as getting actual mail from XYZ Bank at onlinebanking@ealerts.XYZbank.com?,
Adding Extra Periods to a URL – Even a sharp eye might easily miss an extra period. Following the same URL example, in www.xyz..com, the additional period could easily go unnoticed. You miss the change, and the attack will be successful
Using Similar-Looking Characters – To computers, there is no such thing as “similar.” Either the spelling of the URL is correct or it’s not. Using an uppercase Q instead of an O is easy to miss. There are many examples of subtle URL changes to which uninformed or careless users could fall victim

Q: How do cybercriminals use phishing in conjunction with URL spoofing?

A: Phishing attacks often incorporate URL spoofing by sending emails or messages that urge users to click on seemingly trustworthy links. These links then direct the victim to counterfeit websites where they are prompted to enter personal data. The combination is especially effective because the spoofed URL adds a layer of credibility to the phishing message, making it more likely for unsuspecting users to comply. These attacks can result in identity theft, financial loss and unauthorized access to personal or business accounts.

When Should You Ask, Is This a Real Website?

To increase their chances of a successful cyberattack, cybercriminals will usually register several different versions of spoofed URLs. The more deceptive fake URLs they create, the greater their chance of success.

More companies than ever are required by law to protect the personal and financial data they collect from clients. If their employees fall victim to a typosquatting attack, their clients are also in jeopardy. For medical and legal practices, safe and secure data is crucial to their reputations. Data breaches of any kind, including those involving malicious software or typosquatting attacks, can put companies out of business and expose them to ongoing legal challenges.

Q: How do security technologies help prevent these types of attacks?

How Can Small Businesses Protect Against Spoofing and Typosquatting Scams?

Malware protection requires a layered and all-encompassing approach to achieve effective and complete coverage. To protect your hard-earned business data, you must be proactive in building the perfect defenses for your business data systems, whether on-premises or in the cloud. Protection for data breaches is too important and has become much too complex for you to handle on your own. A professional cyber security expert can help you make the right choices for protecting against and recovering from cybercrimes. Such companies specialize in cyber threat protection, including many layers of security and defense solutions for small and midsized companies.

As a business expands its network to include more devices, vulnerability grows, too. Cyber security firms provide proactive cyber security and network security and have an array of solutions that help small and midsized businesses defend against cyberattacks and other network data breaches. They can establish security protocols for your employees, so they don’t accidentally open your company to a cyberattack.

Reach out us if you are in the greater New York City area, or a local IT security provider who can conduct a vulnerability assessment and devise a plan that will upgrade your company’s defenses. Keep in mind that the cost to proactively improve company IT security is typically a small fraction of the cost of a single cyber attack.