Have you ever received an email that looked like it was from your bank that asked you to verify your account details? Or maybe a phone call that looked like it was from a familiar number, but it turned out to be a scam?
These are common examples of spoofing, where cybercriminals disguise their true identity to deceive you. Because these attackers are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, understanding how spoofing works and the different types that you may be exposed to is key to being able to protect yourself online.
How Spoofing Works
Nearly anyone with an email address in 2024 has been the target of spoofing at some point or another; it’s highly likely that your email’s spam folder is loaded with it. But it’s not just emails; it can be phone calls, letters in the mail, or even entire websites pretending to be something you know and trust.
But spoofing typically begins with faked communication where the scammer reaches out to you directly.
Once you trust the source, spoofing relies heavily on social engineering and high pressure tactics to get you to reveal sensitive information. This could be passwords to important financial accounts, such as banking or credit cards, or something less common, such as a Steam gaming account that has thousands of dollars of purchases within it.
Regardless of the target, the goal of spoofing is to gain your trust by pretending to be someone or something that you’re already familiar with. Once trust is established, they can manipulate you into giving up information or taking actions that will ultimately compromise your security and well being.
Types of Spoofing
Email Spoofing
Email spoofing is the most common spoofing tactic used today and it involves sending emails that appear to come from a trusted source, like your bank, email provider, or social media account. If you pay attention to the details of the email, however, you can usually avoid being tricked by them.
When receiving an email asking for sensitive information, always check the following:
- The sender’s address to make sure it matches the domain of the entity
- The content of the email for misspellings, threats, etc.
- Graphical content such as logos shouldn’t be blurry
- Email formatting should be neat and clean, not messy and disorganized
IP Spoofing
IP spoofing is when attackers manipulate the source IP address of a message or data packet. Like with emails, this makes it appear as if it’s coming from a source that you or your system would trust.
Here are some common IP spoof attacks:
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
- Man-in-the-middle attacks
- Masking botnet devices
While the details of each of these differ, the ultimate goal is to take advantage of the target entity.
As an example, GitHub was affected by a DDoS attack in 2018 that crippled their cloud code storage service for around 20 minutes.
Website/URL Spoofing
URL spoofing is when attackers create a fake website that very closely resembles the legitimate site so you will be tricked into entering your personal information. This could be anything from usernames and passwords to credit card details and even more seemingly benign information, like security question answers.
To identify a spoofed website, you should check to make sure the URL has a valid security certificate attached to it. Most internet browsers today allow you to check in the address bar whether a security certificate is valid for a URL and if it isn’t, it will often warn you before you even try to load the site.
Something you can also do to prevent entering your credentials onto the wrong site is to use a password manager such as LastPass or Keeper, which will only try to load your information into the correct URL.
If a website gives you an off feeling, even if it’s only because you don’t trust where you clicked on its URL from, you shouldn’t trust it.
Caller ID Spoofing
Caller ID spoofing is when scammers manipulate the caller ID information that appears on your phone. Like with email, it will appear that the contact is coming from an entity or person that you know and trust.
These types of scams commonly target elderly people and the scammer on the phone may ask for various types of information, including:
- Social security number
- Relevant account numbers
- PIN numbers
- Expiration dates
- Security question answers
- Verification of your phone number
- And more
They will often pretend to be agents of the government, such as with the IRS or Social Security Administration.
If you’re not sure that a call from a government agency or other entity is legitimate, there is no harm in hanging up and calling them back on a number you know is theirs.
Text Message Spoofing
This type of scam is becoming more and more common as people decrease the amount of calls they answer that appear to be from numbers they don’t know. It involves a text message that appears to be from a trusted source and it will typically attempt you to click a link within it.
A common scam right now is designed to appear from a delivery service such as USPS or FedEx that claims that they attempted to drop a package off to you and were unsuccessful. They will ask you to click a link to verify some information so you can pick up your package.
Clicking these links can either trick you into giving them sensitive information or they can lead to the installation of malware onto your phone that will steal your data or simply take control of the phone itself.
To protect yourself from these types of attacks, don’t click links in texts that you aren’t expecting to receive already or from numbers you don’t know.
How to Prevent Spoofing Attacks
Here are some general safety tips to help you stay safe from the types of attacks we mentioned above.
Don’t Click on Suspicious Links
If an email, text message, or even social media post seems suspicious, you should avoid clicking on any link attached to it or downloading anything from it.
Use Strong, Unique Passwords for Different Accounts
Using a password manager like LastPass or Keeper can be invaluable in helping you keep your login credentials safe from thieves. They often include password generators as part of their functionality and will assist you in saving the passwords you’ve created to a library that you can easily access.
Use 2 Factor Authentication
2 Factor Authentication involves you having to use 2 different authentication methods to gain access to an account. The first is your username and password, while the second authentication method can be one of the following:
- A confirmation code sent to your phone number
- A confirmation code sent to your email
- A dynamic confirmation code created by an authentication app you have on your phone
This creates a second layer of security that makes it more difficult for hackers to obtain access to your account.
Keep Software and Devices Updated to Remove Security Vulnerabilities
Many people underestimate the importance of keeping their software and devices updated to the latest versions, but this is critical for keeping your information safe. When you keep things updated, you’re closing off potential entry points that attackers may use to take advantage of you.
Review and Adjust Privacy Settings
When you have profiles online, whether it’s on social media or other online platforms, you should thoroughly go over your privacy settings to make sure you’re not displaying anything publicly that you shouldn’t be.
The less data that you share publicly, the less ammunition scammers have that they can use to craft a convincing spoofing attempt on you.
Use a Reputable Antivirus and Security Software
To further protect yourself, you should invest in a reputable antivirus and security software. These types of tools can help detect and block malicious activities, such as spoofing attempts, phishing, and malware before they can cause harm to you or your business. Scanning regularly and especially scanning in real time can go a long way toward keeping your data secure.
Conclusion
As it becomes more challenging to protect yourself and your sensitive information against spoofing and other types of digital attacks, it’s important to take action. Cybercriminals are continuously discovering and inventing new ways to trick you into giving them information that you wouldn’t otherwise provide.
For a business, hiring an IT support company can be a game-changer in managing and protecting against all types of attacks like this. We at LEAP Managed IT have the expertise to implement advanced security measures, monitor your systems for suspicious activity, and stay ahead of emerging threats.
With us at your side, you gain peace of mind, knowing that your online safety is in capable hands and it allows you to focus on what matters the most.
