It should come as no surprise that the likes of Gmail, Facebook, and Amazon account credentials are so sought after by malicious hackers. After all, such accounts can be used to complete the cybercrime triumvirate of data theft, malware distribution and credit card fraud respectively. Google accounts, in particular, are something of a skeleton key that can unlock a treasure trove of other account credentials and personal information to commit fraud. Just think about the information that is contained in your Gmail inbox, and the chances are high that you have one given how popular the web-based free email service is. And that’s before you consider how many organizations still send password change requests and second-factor authentication links to your email account.
Kaspersky analyzed a total of 25 of the biggest and most popular global brands in order to determine those that are targeted more by cybercriminals when it comes to phishing attacks. The researchers found, Kaspersky said, that there were around 26 million attempts to access malicious sites masquerading as any one of these brands in the first half of 2024 alone. That represents an increase of approximately 40% increase from the same period in 2023.
Phishing Attacks Against Google Increased By 243%
Sitting at the top of the phishing target pile, for all the reasons already mentioned, was Google. When it comes to attempting to steal credentials such as passwords, Google remains a firm favorite on the cybercriminal attack radar. Kaspersky said it had seen a 243% increase in attack attempts for the first six months of 2024, with some 4 million such attempts blocked by Kaspersky security solutions during this period.
