Phishing attacks are no longer restricted to generic, badly written messages. They are now highly targeted, and many use artificial intelligence to appear authentic.
The effectiveness of attacks has increased over the past year, despite a decline in the overall volume of IT phishing. In order to maximise their results, scammers now concentrate on high-impact campaigns that target particular profiles.
Because they have access to sensitive systems and data, HR, IT, and finance positions are specifically targeted.
New tactics that have emerged
Every email, call or message can be a calculated attempt at manipulation, and even experienced IT professionals are among the targets of these attacks. Instead of sending millions of random messages, criminals study their target more closely. They may even collect information from public profiles, social networks and professional history to create personalised approaches.
Vishing: Voice calls from fake support technicians or recruiters to obtain credentials in real time.
Fake CAPTCHAs: To look authentic and evade automatic detection, fraudulent websites employ CAPTCHAs.
Cryptocurrency scams: Phishing wallets and platforms steal money and login credentials.
Fake AI platforms: Websites that imitate well-known tools to gather information and money.
These attacks are not limited to simple technical methods. By using sophisticated engineering, they take advantage of the victim’s trust and instill a sense of urgency, which forces them to take immediate action.
Common examples of phishing in IT recruitment
IT professionals are frequently targeted during recruitment processes due to their more complex nature. Recruitment processes in this area often involve more steps, such as technical tests, for example, creating more opportunities for scammers to attack. Some common situations include:
- Fake job offers posted on legitimate websites.
- Fake recruiter profiles on professional networks.
- Technical tests with malicious files.
- Interview invitations with links to cloned portals.
These methods exploit the natural expectation of multiple interview steps, as well as the expectation of a quick response during a job application. The goal is to get the candidate to click or share data without verifying the source.
How to protect yourself against phishing attacks
Given the complexity of new attacks, prevention is essential to ensure the security of people, companies, and their data and devices. Prevention requires attention and consistent practices:
- Always confirm identity through more than one channel before sharing data.
- Check email addresses and URLs carefully for the actual domain.
- Avoid to reuse passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
- Be careful with urgent requests to send credentials or install software.
- Limit public information on social and professional profiles to reduce the personalisation of attacks.
- Check platforms like Landing.Jobs to help ensure the authenticity of the jobs you are applying for.
Renowned job platforms validate companies and offers before publication. This precaution reduces the risk of phishing when looking for work. You can safeguard your access credentials, work history, and personal information by using a secure channel like these. This significantly lowers the chances of falling for a scam when combined with caution and solid practices.
Because well-executed attacks can affect anyone, regardless of their experience. The ability to recognise warning signals and take preventative action makes a difference.
The new era of phishing
Phishing in IT recruitment is more sophisticated and dangerous than ever. Targeted attacks using generative artificial intelligence exploit both human and technological vulnerabilities. Even the most attentive and experienced professionals are being targeted (successfully) by these scammers.
If the bar has been raised by attacks, then prevention needs to be raised as well. It’s possible to continue developing in your career without stumbling into pitfalls that jeopardise the cybersecurity of businesses and professionals, if you pay attention, constantly check links, use secure platforms, and create a variety of passwords.
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