New research shows threat actors increasingly leveraging social networks for attacks, with LinkedIn being used in 52% of global phishing attacks.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

April 20, 2022

1 Min Read
The LinkedIn logo, which is the name LinkedIn with "in" printed inside a blue box
Source: LinkedIn

Shipping, retail, and tech companies are no longer the most popular brands used to hide phishing attacks. Instead, social media platforms have become the brands of choice used to dupe victims and steal their personal data, with LinkedIn-related lures accounting for a full 52% of all global phishing attacks during January, February, and March of 2022, according to new data.

LinkedIn phishing-lure use exploded by 44% over the previous quarter, when it was used in just 8% of phishing attempts, according to Check Point's latest Brand Phishing Report.

"As well as LinkedIn being the most targeted brand by a considerable margin, WhatsApp maintained its position in the top ten, accounting for almost 1 in 20 phishing-related attacks worldwide," the report said.

Shipping is still a draw, even though LinkedIn overtook DHL as the brand most often used in phishing attacks. DHL is now the second-most abused brand, behind 14% of attempts during the same time period. FedEx moved up from seventh place to fifth over the past quarter, with 6% of all phishing attempts spoofing its brand.

Check Point's List of Top 10 Abused Brands

  1. LinkedIn (accounting for 52% of all global phishing attacks over the quarter)

  2. DHL (14%)

  3. Google (7%)

  4. Microsoft (6%)

  5. FedEx (6%)

  6. WhatsApp (4%)

  7. Amazon (2%)

  8. Maersk (1%)

  9. AliExpress (0.8%)

  10. Apple (0.8%)

About the Author(s)

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

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