Difference between Phishing and Spoofing

We've seen the terms "spoofing" and "phishing" used interchangeably far too often. It is easy to see how different these tactics are at their core once they are defined and understood more clearly.

 

Both use disguise and misrepresentation, which explains why they are so closely related. When both types of attacks are used simultaneously, they create a convincing and seamless double-threat. 

 

It is critical for organizations (large and small, from employees to executives) to understand the distinction so that either attack can be identified and mitigated quickly. Let's compare Spoofing and Phishing to see how they differ and how you can conduct risk mitigation that each poses.

 

What are Phishing and Spoofing?

 

Definition of Phishing

 

In a nutshell, phishing attempts to obtain personal information by convincing the user to provide it directly.  When phishing is used, the goal is to obtain the user's personal and confidential information. 

 

The attacker typically sends an electronic communication, such as an email, requesting sensitive data such as credit card information, bank information, debit card PIN, social security number, date of birth, passwords, or user ids. 

 

It is critical to have in-depth knowledge of this latest threat in order to protect personal and financial details and information. The communication appears trustworthy because it appears to come from a legitimate source, a known or trusted person or organization. 

 

The email typically contains links or attachments that, when clicked by the recipient, immediately download malware. As a result, the email's intent is malicious in order to obtain your financial or personal information.

 

Most online attackers nowadays use advanced technology, such as software systems, to send authentic-looking emails and messages.

 

Definition of Spoofing

 

There is a fine line between phishing and spoofing. Spoofing occurs when an attacker first spoofs or steals the identity of a real-time user before contacting the user. 

 

The goal of communicating with the end-user is to obtain personal and sensitive information from the user. So, basically, the attacker pretends to be someone who exists in the real world and is a legitimate user. This is an example of identity theft.

 

This is extremely dangerous because attackers typically target large enterprises and large organizations, steal their information, and then connect with the target group to hack their systems and steal their personal data. In this case, too, attackers use cutting-edge software systems to obtain your email address and user ID.

 

Also Read | Cyber Security Awareness: Ways to Protect Cyber Attack Vulnerability 

 

 

Types of Phishing

 

Below we’ve listed some of the most prevalent types of phishing attacks :

 

1. Email Phishing: The phishing attack is carried out via malicious emails. It is the most prevalent type of phishing attack.

 

2. Spear phishing: It is a type of phishing attack in which an email is sent to a specific target, such as an individual, a business, or an organization. The goal could be to steal information or install malware on the targeted victim's computer.

 

3. Whaling: Also known as CEO Phishing, this attack is primarily aimed at business leaders or senior executives. It is a combination of spear and email phishing because it is a highly targeted form of attack and also uses email as the primary medium for carrying out phishing. In most cases, the intention is to initiate a fund transfer.

 

4. Clone Phishing: As the name implies, this attack entails cloning or creating a replica. The attacker duplicates/clones a legitimate or genuine email that an individual may have received from a legitimate source. 

 

The forged email looks exactly like the genuine email and is sent from a spoofed email address. It does contain malicious content, such as a link that, when clicked, installs malware in the victim's system.

 

5. Angler Phishing: This type of phishing attack uses social media to launch a cyber attack. The attempt is to steal data and information posted on social media platforms and force victims to divulge personal information as a result.

 

6. Smishing: This attack uses text messages to deceive users. Typically, the messages include phone numbers for the user to call or a link to a website controlled by the attacker.

 

7. Vishing: A Vishing Attack is a combination of a Voice and a Phishing Attack. Vishing is a type of phishing attack that uses voice to obtain personal or financial information from victims via a phony phone call.

 

 

Types of Spoofing

 

Below are a few of the types of spoofing :

 

• Email spoofing: Email spoofing is the act of sending emails with false sender addresses, usually as part of a phishing attack designed to steal your information, infect your computer with malware, or just ask for money.

 

Typical payloads for malicious emails include ransomware, adware, cryptojackers, Trojans (like Emotet), or malware that enslaves your computer in a botnet (see DDoS).

 

But a spoofed email address isn't always enough to fool the average person. Imagine getting a phishing email with what looks like a Facebook address in the sender field, but the body of the email is written in basic text, no design or HTML to speak of—not even a logo.

 

That's not something we're accustomed to receiving from Facebook, and it should raise some red flags.

 

• Website spoofing: The goal of website spoofing is to make a malicious website appear to be legitimate. The spoofed site will look exactly like the login page for a website you visit, right down to the branding, user interface, and even a spoofed domain name that appears identical at first glance.

 

Cybercriminals use spoofed websites to steal your username and password (also known as login spoofing) or to install malware on your computer (a drive-by download).

 

A spoofed website is usually used in conjunction with an email spoof, in which the email contains a link to the spoofed website. It is also important to understand that a spoofed website is not the same as a hacked website. 

 

Malvertising is a type of malware in and of itself. In this instance, cybercriminals used legitimate advertising channels to display malicious ads on trusted websites.

 

• Spoofing of caller ID: Scammers use caller ID spoofing to trick your caller ID into thinking the call is coming from somewhere it isn't. Scammers have discovered that if the caller ID shows an area code similar to or close to your own, you are more likely to answer the phone. 

 

Scammers will sometimes spoof the first few digits of your phone number as well as the area code to give the impression that the call is coming from your neighborhood (aka neighbor spoofing).

 

• Spoofing GPS: When you use GPS spoofing, you trick your device's GPS into thinking you're in one location when you're actually in another. Why would anyone want to spoof their GPS? "Pokémon GO" is a two-word phrase. 

 

Pokémon GO cheaters can make the popular mobile game think they're near an in-game gym and take over that gym by using GPS spoofing (winning in-game currency). The cheaters, in fact, are in a completely different location—or country. 

 

Similarly, YouTube videos show Pokémon GO players catching various Pokémon without ever leaving their house. While GPS spoofing may appear to be child's play, it's easy to imagine threat actors using the trick for more sinister purposes than gaining mobile game access.

 

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack: Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks can occur when you use free Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop. Have you considered what would happen if a cybercriminal hacked the Wi-Fi or set up another fraudulent Wi-Fi network in the same location? 

 

In either case, you have a perfect setup for a man-in-the-middle attack, so named because cybercriminals can intercept web traffic between two parties. Spoofing occurs when criminals alter the communication between the parties in order to reroute funds or solicit sensitive personal information such as credit card numbers or logins.

 

Also Read | Everything About Cybersecurity Threats, Attacks and its Types 

 

 

Difference between Phishing and Spoofing

 

1. Meaning

 

Phishing and spoofing are frequently confused. In fact, spoofing techniques are commonly used in phishing, but spoofing is not always considered phishing. Many types of internet-related forgery may refer to spoofing, but it is not the same as phishing.

 

Spoofing is a method of defrauding people of their personal and financial information in order to cause a variety of security or other issues. 

 

Phishing, on the other hand, is a type of spam attack that is frequently used in conjunction with a spoofed email that appears to be from a legitimate source.

 

2. Purpose

 

The primary goal of phishing is to trick victims into disclosing personal, sensitive information such as credit card numbers, bank account information, social security numbers, and other sensitive information in order to compromise the victims' online security.

 

Spoofing occurs when a perpetrator impersonates another user in order to gain unauthorized access to his system or network to steal sensitive information or plant a virus or malware in order to cause him harm. Spoofing is commonly used in denial-of-service attacks to flood the target with an overwhelming volume of traffic.

 

3. Techniques

 

Phishing attacks are meticulously planned and carried out as a series of intricately planned activities. A phishing scam may use multiple email campaigns and web servers. Phishing attacks can be launched through emails or instant messages. 

 

The email directs users to a seemingly legitimate website where they are asked to update personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, credit card numbers, and bank account information. The website is a forgery designed to steal users' personal information.

 

Spoofing attacks, on the other hand, are broadly classified as email spoofing, website spoofing, and IP spoofing.

 

4. Characteristics of Scam

 

Surprisingly, spoofing is not considered fraud because the attacker does not have access to the victim's email or phone number, and no information is stolen. However, phishing is a type of online scam or fraud because it involves data theft.

 

5. Grouping

 

Spoofing is a subset of phishing because attackers on the internet frequently steal the identity of a legitimate user before committing phishing fraud. Spoofing, on the other hand, does not involve phishing.

 

6. Procedure

 

Phishing does not use malicious software and is carried out through the use of techniques of social engineering. Malicious software is installed on the target computer during spoofing.

 

How to Avoid Phishing Attacks

 

Some preventive measures to avoid phishing attacks include:

 

• Before you click on links in emails, hover over the link to double-check the destination.

 

• Delete suspicious emails with sensational subject lines like "Hurry" or "Must Act Now," as well as emails with misspellings in the body of the message that appear unprofessional.

 

• Only open attachments from trusted sources.

 

• When in doubt, call the sender to confirm that the email came from them.

 

How to Avoid Spoofing Attack

 

Paying close attention to the details within the communication is an effective way of protecting against spoofing attacks:

 

• Examine emails, URLs, and webpages for spelling mistakes.

 

• Be wary of grammatical errors in the communication's content.

 

• Pay close attention to sentence structure and unusual sentence phrasing.

 

• All of the above are red flags that the email, webpage, phone call, or another form of communication has been spoofed.

 

• One can also go a step further and include the same safeguards as for phishing. To do so, you must be wary of any communication from an unknown sender, especially if you are being asked for personal information.

 

• In general, if the sender is unknown or something just doesn't seem right, delete the message, close the browser, or call the sender to confirm the legitimacy of the email.

 

Also Read | What is Attack Surface Management?

 

Both phishing and spoofing are designed to steal sensitive information or compromise security. Both are done for monetary gain. When you receive a suspicious email, hover your mouse over the sender's address and take note of the domain name.

 

Some hackers work smartly and buy a domain name that looks similar to the original, so look for misspellings in this case. Always be cautious when opening documents attached to emails. To keep your information secure, always protect your computer by using security software and keeping it up to date.