Security News > 2021 > February > Hybrid, Older Users Most-Targeted by Gmail Attackers

Users whose personal details have been exposed by a third-party breach, Australians, older folks and those who use both desktops and mobile devices are at the highest risk of becoming the victim of a malicious email attack, according to Google and researchers from Stanford, who teamed up to determine who has the highest risk of being targeted.

Users who had personal data exposed in a third-party breach were five-times more likely to be targeted by phishing or malware, according to the report, which highlights just how damaging these types of data breaches can be, even in the long run.

The report reveals that Gmail users in Australia actually face twice the odds of being targeted versus Americans.

First is that attackers simply see older users as easier to dupe and coerce.

Another factor which correlates with a higher risk of email attacks include the amount of activity a person has on Gmail, with "Frequent" users being more than five times as likely to be targeted.

"At the same time, we find that users who have proactively established a recovery mechanism face a higher odds of attack. These users would likely be better protected by strict two-factor authentication."

News URL

https://threatpost.com/hybrid-older-users-gmail-attackers/163826/