The FBI have issued a warning to U.S. businesses about the growing threat of vishing attacks (‘voice phishing‘) that are seeking to steal corporate network credentials, as Bleeping Computer has reported. It is of particular concern that many employees working from home are using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks to take company phone calls, making them easy targets for cyber criminals.
VoIP refers to making phone calls that are made through the Internet, rather than through a regular landline or a mobile network.
Mark Crichton, Senior Director of Security Product Management at cybersecurity firm OneSpan, has recognised that this is not an issue isolated to the U.S. alone. He notes that all countries should consider the warning.
As Crichton explains to Digital Journal: “Cybercrime isn’t limited by national borders – it’s an international phenomenon – so all firms shouldn’t take the FBI’s warning for granted. The pandemic has presented new challenges for nearly all businesses, not least of which the security implications of the many changes to our daily working habits. To combat these new risks, there are a range of protocols that companies can put in place to protect both customers and employees.”
Crichton adds that businesses need to consider just how long the current situation is going to last for, stating: “It’s crucial that, as businesses adapt to the new normal by introducing home working technology and remote systems access, they are also investing in education for employees about the different types of phishing attacks they may face and enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible.”
Crichton adds that: “This way, companies will be able to protect both their employees and end customers from having their identity data or other credentials stolen by hackers.”
