Phishing attacks have emerged as one of the most dangerous cybersecurity threats that a Security Operations Center and Cyber Threat Intelligence team need to fight against. These attacks target individuals and organizations by pretending to be legitimate organizations and trick them into giving personal information such as passwords or credit card details or clicking on malicious links or attachments that then infect their computers. Phishing attacks are the most common way for hackers to gain access to sensitive data, intellectual property, and financial accounts.
One effective way to combat phishing attacks is through Protective DNS. This technology works by blocking access to known malicious websites and preventing users from unknowingly clicking on harmful links. In this guide, we will discuss how you can stop phishing attacks with protective DNS.
Understanding Phishing
Phishing is a fraudulent practice where attackers deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading a malware file that then infects their system. This is often done through emails or text messages that appear to be from legitimate sources. The goal is usually to steal money, download malware, or extract personal data like passwords and credit card details.
Phishing attacks often begin with an email or text message that seems genuine. The attacker masquerades as a trusted entity such as a bank, eCommerce site, or a government agency. The message encourages the victim to click on a malicious link or provide personal details. Phishing emails or messages are designed with urgency, preying on human emotions like fear or curiosity.
A phishing email, for instance, may impersonate a victim’s bank, falsely informing them that a $50,000 transfer will proceed as scheduled unless they log in to cancel it. Upon clicking the link or opening the attachment, victims are redirected to a phishing website that mimics their bank’s appearance, deceiving them into entering their login credentials. Attackers can then capture the password and access the account as the user, resulting in identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes.
A phishing message may pose as a news site, claiming to offer information about a recent natural disaster by directing you to a linked article. Clicking the link results in the automatic download and execution of malware, granting attackers access to sensitive information or control over your device.
Phishing emails may include spreadsheet attachments claiming to contain payment details for finance or HR teams. Upon opening, these files prompt users to enable macros for proper functionality. However, enabling macros allows the document to download and run a malware installer. This malware spreads across the network and encrypts sensitive files and data it encounters.
Various forms of phishing exist, exploiting different communication channels. Traditional phishing emails are the most common, though techniques have evolved. Spear phishing targets individuals with tailored emails. Smishing and vishing involve deceptive text messages and calls. Social media has also become a target, using fake accounts to deceive users.
The sophistication of phishing attacks has increased over the years. Attackers now employ automation tools to distribute millions of phishing emails daily, frequently changing DNS domains or support infrastructure. This volume presents challenges for organizations, emphasizing the need for adaptive countermeasures that evolve with attackers’ tactics and techniques.
The Impact of Phishing
Phishing has severe consequences for both individuals and businesses. According to the IBM Cost of Data Breaches report, phishing was the most prevalent attack vector in 2023, costing an average of USD 4.76 million per breach. Beyond the immediate financial losses, victims face operational disruptions, legal penalties, reputational damage, and a loss of trust from customers and clients. Companies may also experience prolonged downtime, which impacts productivity and revenue.
In addition, phishing very commonly serves as an initial access point to the business and its computer systems. This fraudulent practice involves tricking individuals into revealing enterprise login credentials, which can then be exploited. Or, the malware in a phishing message can be used to relay remote access through the attacker’s command and control service. Once access is gained, attackers can use it for follow-on attacks such as deploying ransomware, which encrypts files and demands payment for their release, or data exfiltration, where sensitive data is extracted and used for malicious purposes. By compromising these systems, cybercriminals can cause significant disruptions and financial loss.
For individuals, phishing can lead to identity theft, where personal information is used fraudulently, causing significant emotional distress and financial turmoil. Victims often endure long battles to restore their identity and secure their accounts. The pervasive nature of phishing, with its evolving tactics and increasing sophistication, emphasizes the urgent need for effective countermeasures, including better education, advanced security protocols, and constant vigilance to protect against these insidious threats.
Phishing Attack Detection and Blocking
Detecting and blocking phishing attacks is crucial for safeguarding both individuals and organizations from potential harm. The first step in this process is understanding common signs of phishing attempts, such as suspicious email addresses, generic greetings, and unexpected requests for personal information.
Learn more about what a phishing attack is.
There are several security controls that organizations use to detect and block phishing attacks:
Ensure regular operating system updates to patch vulnerabilities. Keeping your system updated helps protect against known security threats and ensures your software is running smoothly and securely.
Deploy anti-virus or anti-malware software to detect and mitigate threats in real time. This software acts as a crucial line of defense, identifying and neutralizing malicious activities before they can cause harm.
Implement incoming email filtering to scrutinize links and attachments for potential phishing content. By filtering emails, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to phishing scams and protect sensitive information.
Incorporate two-factor authentication for an extra security layer, requiring a one-time code in addition to a password. This additional step enhances account security by ensuring that even if a password is compromised, unauthorized access is still prevented.
Conduct user awareness training to empower individuals to recognize and respond to phishing attempts, fostering security consciousness. Educating users about security threats not only helps them protect themselves but also strengthens the overall security posture of the organization.
Phishing protection requires a defense-in-depth approach due to the limitations of existing anti-phishing measures. Email filtering, which relies on signatures and content inspection, often struggles with the sophistication of modern phishing techniques. Blocklisting URLs is challenged by phishers who rapidly create new fraudulent domains, outpacing updates. User education, despite being valuable, doesn’t fully prevent users from succumbing to refined psychological manipulation. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a layer of security by blocking unauthorized access, yet it cannot stop malware downloads from phishing messages or prevent users from clicking harmful links. Additionally, Business Email Compromise (BEC) filters primarily focus on email threats, neglecting other phishing vectors like web and apps. These shortcomings collectively underscore the necessity for advanced solutions, such as Protective DNS, to proactively block phishing attempts.
Preventing Phishing with Protective DNS
While many security measures exist, not all are created equal in combating phishing attacks. To combat phishing effectively, organizations must adopt a layered security approach. One of the most effective tools in this arsenal is Protective DNS, which proactively blocks known phishing sites and malware command and control before users can access them. It also blocks malware command and control servers once a computer is infected.
Protective DNS operates by analyzing DNS queries and answers to identify and block potential threats. This real-time security service prevents access to malicious or suspicious sites. By doing so, it stops phishing attacks at the earliest stage, safeguarding users from malicious content.
Next-generation Protective DNS elevates security by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to dynamically assess DNS queries. These advanced technologies enable the system to continuously learn and adapt, enhancing its ability to detect even the most sophisticated phishing attempts. By analyzing patterns and behaviors within DNS traffic, AI and ML models can assign risk scores to queries in real time. This process involves evaluating factors such as the reputation of the domain, the frequency of access, and any anomalies in the DNS traffic. As a result, next-generation Protective DNS can make informed decisions about blocking or allowing access, providing an agile defense against evolving cyber threats.
Protective DNS offers several benefits to businesses that adopt it:
- Real-Time Blocking: Protective DNS instantly blocks newly identified phishing sites across the network. This proactive approach ensures that threats are addressed swiftly.
- Identifies Emerging Threats: By leveraging advanced adversary infrastructure platforms, Protective DNS continuously analyzes the web to detect emerging phishing sites.
- Universal Coverage: Unlike traditional methods, Protective DNS protects against phishing across all vectors—email links, web pages, documents, and more.
- Difficult to Evade: Blocking based on domain reputation prevents attackers from bypassing security through display name spoofing or content changes.
- Enforces Acceptable Usage Policy: Protective DNS can enforce acceptable usage policies to prevent users from accessing inappropriate or risky sites.
Vercara’s Protective DNS solution
Vercara’s UltraDNS Detection and Response (UltraDDR) is a next-generation Protective DNS solution, setting the industry standard for preventing attacks. By combining recursive and private DNS resolver technologies, UltraDDR actively blocks harmful queries and identifies adversary infrastructure. Transitioning from a reactive to a proactive security strategy keeps your business ahead of malicious traffic and cyber threats.
UltraDDR uses 4 distinct detection engines to block phishing attacks:
- The Lists Engine allows DNS administrators to bring their own blocklists and allowlists or to integrate with other response tools.
- The Categories Engine brings 17 Vercara-provided categories of websites to block known malware and phishing domains and to enforce Acceptable Use Policies.
- The Decision Engine uses a multi-petabyte data lake of information about adversarial infrastructure to dynamically identify and block malicious domains even though they have not been previously seen.
- The Ruleset Engine allows administrators to write free-form rules based on data elements inside the query, domain, and answer to augment the other detection engines.
For an example of how these four detection engines work, check out Typosquatting and Phishing Protection with UltraDDR.
Phishing Evolves, So Does Protective DNS
Phishing threats are accelerating, and traditional reactive methods like email filtering or URL blacklisting are inadequate. To protect against this evolving threat, businesses need proactive solutions like Protective DNS, which blocks phishing at scale to be the most cost-effective way to reduce incidents.
By anchoring anti-phishing defenses with Protective DNS as part of a layered protection stack, organizations gain comprehensive protection against this threat. This approach safeguards against phishing, ensuring a secure digital environment for businesses and individuals.
For those seeking to enhance their cybersecurity measures, exploring Protective DNS services like UltraDDR can provide the necessary protection against phishing attacks. Stay ahead of threats and ensure a secure online experience.
