APWG Report: Cybercrime Gangs Ramp Up Phishing Attacks in 2018
Summary
“In Q1 2018, there was a marked increase in URL detections starting in February and ramping up through March, but the number of unique phishing domains remained flat,” said Stefanie Ellis, AntiFraud Product Marketing Manager, MarkMonitor. While some of this increase is due to the general adoption of HTTPS across the web, much of this trend has been driven by threat actors registering malicious domains and obtaining free SSL certificates to make their phishing sites appear more legitimate. As browsers add more negative visual indicators that cause general web users to become less trusting of HTTP websites, we expect this trend to continue and likely accelerate.” Axur, the APWG’s observer in Brazil, recorded significant increases in web-based scams on sites like Facebook, and saw phishing via text messages. Membership is open to qualified financial institutions, online retailers, ISPs and Telcos, the law enforcement community, solutions providers, multi-lateral treaty organizations, research centers, trade associations and government agencies. Among APWGs corporate sponsors are: AhnLab, AnchorFree, AT&T (T), Afilias, Avast!, AVG Technologies, BBN Technologies, Barracuda Networks, BillMeLater, Booz Allen Hamilton, Blue Coat, BrandMail, BrandProtect, Bsecure Technologies, CSC Digital Brand Services, Check Point Software Technologies, Comcast, CSIRTBANELCO, Cyber Defender, DigiCert, Domain Tools, Donuts.co, Easy Solutions, eBay/PayPal (EBAY), eCert, EC Cert, ESET, EST Soft, Facebook, Forcepoint, Fortinet, FraudWatch International, F-Secure, GlobalSign, GoDaddy, Google, GroupIB, Hauri, Hitachi Systems, Ltd., Huawei Symantec, ICANN, Iconix, Infoblox (BLOX), IronPort, ING Bank, Intuit, Internet.bs, IT Matrix, iThreat Cyber Group, Kindsight, LaCaixa, Lenos Software, LINE, Lookingglass, MailChannels, MailChimp, MailShell, MarkMonitor, M86Security, McAfee (MFE), Melbourne IT, MessageLevel, Microsoft (MSFT), MicroWorld, Mimecast, Mirapoint, NHN, MyPW, nProtect Online Security, Netcraft, Network Solutions, NeuStar, Nominet, Nominum, Public Interest Registry, Panda Software, Phishlabs, Phishme.com, Phorm, Planty.net, Prevx, Proofpoint, QinetiQ, Return Path, RSA Security (EMC), RuleSpace, SalesForce, SecureBrain, S21sec, SIDN, SiteLock, SoftForum, SoftLayer, SoftSecurity, SOPHOS, SunTrust, SurfControl, Symantec (SYMC), Tagged, TDS Telecom, Telefonica (TEF), TransCreditBank, Trend Micro (TMIC), Trustwave, Vasco (VDSI), VeriSign (VRSN), Wombat Security Technologies, and zvelo.