However, phishing remains one of the main threats to IT security, especially because it adopts more sophisticated forms thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). This reality highlights the need to implement innovative approaches, such as ethical hacking, to strengthen defenses and protect companies from these increasingly complex attacks.
Phishing is the most common type of social engineering attack: attackers send fraudulent emails posing as legitimate organizations and ask the victim to click on a link or provide confidential information. This kind of social engineering cyberattacks are often successful because they rely on human psychology, making it difficult for people to realize they are being manipulated. Additionally, they can be very specific and target particular individuals within a company who have access to confidential information.
The Fraud Beat report reveals that phishing attacks increased by 81% between 2022 and 2023 worldwide. Latin America is among the most affected regions by this type of attack: for instance, a report from Kaspersky indicates that between June 2022 and July 2023, 286 million phishing attempts were blocked, a 617% increase compared to the previous 12 months, with an average of 783,000 attacks per day. According to this document, the most affected countries were Brazil (with 134 million attempted attacks), Mexico (43 million), Peru (32 million), Colombia (31 million), Ecuador (12 million), Chile (11 million), and Argentina (9 million). Thus, phishing attacks continue to be the most important vector for personal data theft and are the first step in cyber incidents that lead to massive data breaches.
Meanwhile, a report from SOC Radar indicates that Latin America was affected by nearly 6,050 distinct phishing attacks in 2023: “Although the primary focus of these cyberattacks was the manufacturing industry, the information technology, public administration, finance, and insurance industries were also among the most common targets,” the report states.
Information Security
So, how can we defend against such attacks? Ethical hacking is the first line of defense against social engineering attacks as it allows vulnerabilities and deficiencies to be identified before they can be exploited by potential attackers.
What ethical hackers do is simulate the actions of malicious hackers and detect areas within a company’s system that pose risks or could be exploited by cybercriminals, in order to correct them in time. This is how they can understand the weaknesses and strengths of the entire digital infrastructure of a company, such as IT systems, networks, and applications, to build a solid line of defense.
How is this activity carried out in practice? In fact, ethical hackers use the same tools and strategies as malicious ones, but with different goals: their mission is to improve IT security and the protection of the organization through preventive actions. To do so, they have the permission, consent, and approval of the company or the system owners. These preventive actions often include phishing, vishing, and smishing campaigns (i.e., social engineering techniques): the objective is to discover the vulnerability of a company’s employees or customers to digital scams carried out by email, phone, or text message.
Ethical Hacking
When it comes to preventing phishing attacks, ethical hackers conduct realistic tests and, for example, try to deceive employees, gain unauthorized access, or manipulate individuals within an organization to assess security defenses. Specifically, they send simulated phishing emails to see how many employees fall for the scam and potentially disclose confidential information or click on malicious links. This achieves three important things:
- It reviews the company’s susceptibility to phishing attacks.
- It identifies areas where training and awareness on information security are needed.
- It detects areas for improvement in terms of controls, procedures, and cybersecurity policies.
In addition to testing a company’s security systems, ethical hackers can also educate employees on how to recognize and prevent social engineering attacks (for example, how to identify phishing emails and more).
In a world where cybersecurity threats, such as phishing, continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, prevention and strengthening defenses are essential for any organization’s protection. Ethical hacking positions itself as a key tool to identify vulnerabilities and improve resilience to potential attacks, contributing to a safer and more robust digital infrastructure.