Analysis of Phishing Attacks and Countermeasures

Abstract

One of the biggest problems with the Internet technology is the unwanted spam emails. The well disguised phishing email comes in as part of the spam and makes its entry into the inbox quite frequently nowadays. While phishing is normally considered a consumer issue, the fraudulent tactics the phishers use are now intimidating the corporate sector as well. In this paper, we analyze the various aspects of phishing attacks and draw on some possible defenses as countermeasures. We initially address the different forms of phishing attacks in theory, and then look at some examples of attacks in practice, along with their common defenses. We also highlight some recent statistical data on phishing scam to project the seriousness of the problem. Finally, some specific phishing countermeasures at both the user level and the organization level are listed, and a multi-layered anti-phishing proposal is presented to round up our studies.