Apple is Most Imitated Brand for Phishing Attempts

Check Point Research’s Q1 2020 Brand Phishing report

Check Point’s researchers highlight Yahoo! as most imitated brand for email-based phishing, and Netflix as the most imitated for mobile-based phishing attempts

SAN CARLOS, Calif., April 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, has published its new Brand Phishing Report for Q1 2020.  The report highlights the brands which were most frequently imitated by criminals in their attempts to steal individuals’ personal information or payment credentials during Q1 of this year.

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

Apple was the brand most frequently targeted brand by cybercriminals, soaring from seventh place in Q4 of 2019 to the top of the rankings. 10% of all brand phishing attempts related to the technology giant, as bad actors sought to capitalize on its powerful brand recognition. Netflix took the second spot with 9% of all phishing attempts related to the company, perhaps in part due to the increase in people accessing the service during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile the Chase Bank brand rose by 3% from Q4 2019 to take the sixth position, with 5% of all phishing attempts seeking to exploit this brand.

The most likely industry to be targeted by brand phishing was technology, followed by banking and then media. This illustrates a broad spread of some of the best-known and most used consumer sectors, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic and associated quarantine, whereby individuals are grappling with remote working technology, potential changes to finances, and an uplift in home entertainment services such as streaming.

Top phishing brands in Q1 2020

The top brands are ranked by their overall appearance in brand phishing attempts:

1. Apple (related to 10% of all brand phishing attempts globally)
2. Netflix (9%)
3. Yahoo (6%)
4. WhatsApp (6%)
5. PayPal (5%)
6. Chase (5%)
7. Facebook (3%)
8. Microsoft (3%)
9. eBay (3%)
10. Amazon (1%)

Top phishing brands by platform