As per sources, new phishing scam exploits employees' trust by pretending to be Human Resources (HR) departments in order to steal sensitive information. The purpose of this advisory is to provide guidance that will help employees identify the scam, avoid falling for it, and avoid falling victim. The phishing emails, detected in environments secured by platforms like Google, Outlook 365, and Proofpoint, are designed to look like legitimate communications from a company’s HR department. The subject line, typically something like “Important: Revised Employee Handbook,” is crafted to create a sense of urgency, compelling employees to open the email immediately. Compared to corporate communications, the email is formal, structured, and professional. Upon opening, the letter greets the employee and proceeds to ask him or her to review the employee handbook, which has been updated. The message emphasizes compliance with a strict deadline, usually the same day, to amplify the urgency and pressure on the recipient. The phishing email has two main objectives: to get recipients to click an embedded link and to trick them into entering their login credentials on a fake site. Since the email appears to come from a trusted HR source, it uses authority and urgency to persuade employees to act without questioning the message’s authenticity. According to a report by Cofense, the attackers behind this campaign use psychological manipulation to exploit employees’ fears of non-compliance with company policies. The email promises significant changes in the handbook, adding another layer of urgency that suppresses natural skepticism. The email contains a hyperlink disguised as the “HR Compliance Section for Revised Employee Handbook.” Clicking this link redirects the recipient to a page that mimics a legitimate document hosting site, where they are presented with a “Proceed” button. Clicking “Proceed” leads them to a convincing page branded by Microsoft, where they are asked to enter their Microsoft credentials. Furthermore, protecting against these increasingly sophisticated threats requires a multi-layered defense strategy combining technological solutions with trained employees.
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