LinkedIn has been identified as the most commonly-imitated brand in phishing attempts, according to research from Check Point.

Statistics published in the 2022 Q1 Brand Phishing Report show that attacks imitating LinkedIn now account for 52% of all phishing attacks globally, marking a significant increase on the previous quarter.

Security experts warn that the latest report points to an emerging trend whereby threat actors leverage social networks to lure unsuspecting victims into giving up personal data.

What is a Brand Phishing Attack?

In a brand phishing attack, criminals try to imitate the official website of a well-known brand by using a similar domain name or URL and web-page design to the genuine site.

The link to the fake website can be sent to targeted individuals by email or text message, a user can be redirected during web browsing, or it may be triggered from a fraudulent mobile application.

These fake website often contains a form intended to steal users’ credentials, payment details or other personal information.

Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Group Manager at Check Point Software, commented: “These phishing attempts are attacks of opportunity, plain and simple. Criminal groups orchestrate these phishing attempts on a grand scale, with a view to getting as many people to part with their personal data as possible.

“Some attacks will attempt to gain leverage over individuals or steal their information, such as those we’re seeing with LinkedIn. Others will be attempts to deploy malware on company networks, such as the fake emails containing spoof carrier documents that we’re seeing with the likes of Maersk.”

The Most-imitated Brands Online

Below are the top brands ranked by their overall appearance in brand phishing attacks:

• LinkedIn (relating to 52% of all phishing attacks globally)
• DHL (14%)
• Google (7%)
• Microsoft (6%)
• FedEx (6%)
• WhatsApp (4%)
• Amazon (2%)
• Maersk (1%)
• AliExpress (0.8%)
• Apple (0.8%)

LinkedIn Rises to the Top

LinkedIn’s growing popularity among threat actors highlights a dramatic 44% uplift from the previous quarter, where the social networking site ranked in 5^th place and accounted for just 8% of phishing attempts.

LinkedIn overtook DHL as the most targeted brand, which is now in second position and accounted for 14% of all phishing attempts during the quarter.

Notably, Facebook dropped out of the top ten rankings. However, Dembinsky warned users to still remain vigilant and look out for the tell-tale signs of phishing.

He said: “If there was ever any doubt that social media would become one of the most heavily targeted sectors by criminal groups, Q1 has laid those doubts to rest.

“The best defence against phishing threats, as ever, is knowledge. Employees in particular should be trained to spot suspicious anomalies such as misspelled domains, typos, incorrect dates and other details that can expose a malicious email or text message.

“LinkedIn users in particular should be extra vigilant over the course of the next few months.”

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