Phishing Attacks Warning: Don’t Trust That E-Signature File!

Scammers are using a trusted E-signature company in their phishing attacks to get you  

There is never a bad day for cyber security criminals to launch phishing attacks. And as usual, they have gotten more inventive in their ways.

This one particular attack hides behind a trusted brand that most companies use. They use this popular electronic signature company that pioneered the technology as bait to get you to click their malware. Targets are businesses who use this platform using emails under their name but with an attached malicious file, hidden in plain sight.

Phishing attacks

How does the phishing attacks happen?

Basically what happens is that a phishing email is sent to the target. This email will contain a request to view and electronically sign the document labeled “Scanned Remittance Advice.htm” or something similar. Take note, the .htm is a key factor here as they are usually ignored by security systems and have higher chances of reaching the target.

It becomes more tricky as other buttons will redirect to the e-signature company which will further convince the target that the email is legit. However, when you click on the blank .htm file, that is where the chaos begins. This is because the blank image contains a lot of empty svg files that are encoded into the HTML file attachment. These svg files contain the codes that send the target to the malicious URL. Thereby successfully evading all security systems and reeling in the prey.  

What are the dangers behind these phishing attacks?

Simply put, clicking the blank HTML attachment installs the malware into your computer. Hence, giving it access to your data and an entry point to the company’s network. As such, your company information is at risk of being exposed, sold, and held for ransom by the threat actors.

What can business owners do?

The spiked increase in the cases of HTML attacks, particularly in Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) only indicates one thing. Business owners must be knowledgeable of the trends scammers use so they can stay ahead of the game and avoid being a victim.

Therefore, if you or your staff use any e-signature platform in your business, you need to be extra careful. Orient your employees to this form of attack so that they always cross-check emails, making sure they are genuine, before opening them.  You can also opt to have them block emails with blank HTML attachments so they cannot get into your inboxes to begin with.

Talk to your trusted IT professionals about this. They can provide training and a security system that your business needs to be safe from these attacks!

Schedule your consultation today.

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