Phishing is getting smarter Hacker attacks on Gmail users are on the rise - how to protect yourself
Phishing attacks on Gmail addresses are on the rise. What artificial intelligence has to do with it and how you can best protect yourself.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Since 2022, the number of phishing attacks that bypass security filters has risen by 49 percent.
- Cybercriminals manipulate metadata from links to create deceptively real previews of social media profiles or websites.
- This makes it all the more important to never click on suspicious-looking links in emails.
The number of phishing attacks on Gmail users has grown rapidly in recent months. A trend that is also accelerated by artificial intelligence and makes it increasingly difficult for users to recognize fraudulent content. What is particularly alarming is that the attacks are not only technically sophisticated, but also aim to manipulate human behavior.
According to the Hoxhunt Phishing Trends Report from the beginning of February, phishing attacks have increased by 49 percent since 2022. 4.7 percent of all attacks are generated by AI. Pyry Avist, Chief Technology Officer at Hoxhunt, warns: "AI is being used as a weapon by cybercriminals to usher in a new era of social engineering tactics."
Social engineering is about influencing a person on an interpersonal level. The hacker tries to gain the victim's trust and persuade them to disclose confidential information or release credit card details and passwords, for example. It is a similar principle to that used by grandchild fraudsters for decades.
Links are still the biggest threat
At their core, however, most attempted attacks still have one central feature - they rely on malicious links. Even with highly developed AI-supported attacks, clicking on a fraudulent URL is ultimately the decisive moment.
Adrianus Warmenhoven, cyber security expert at Nord Security, warns in a recent video: "Phishing is now easier than assembling furniture kits." Studies show that users often fall for a fraudulent email within 60 seconds.
Particularly dangerous is the use of AI-supported tools that enable cyber criminals to create perfect copies of trusted websites. With just a few clicks, attackers can create fake portals that are visually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Google's recommendations
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) therefore strongly advises that suspicious links or attachments in emails should never be opened without thinking. A fraudulent message can often look deceptively genuine, according to a warning.
The security recommendations from Google itself are somewhat more specific.
The best way to protect yourself
- Check messages you receive carefully: Even if an email looks trustworthy, you should never click on links or open attachments before confirming its authenticity.
- Use password managers: These only fill in passwords on authentic websites and can help expose fake sites.
- Regularly check suspicious activities in your Google account: Users can check the Google security page to see if there are any suspicious logins or other anomalies in the account.
