Security News > 2021 > November > Mobile phishing attacks targeting energy sector surge by 161%

Mobile phishing attacks targeting employees in the energy industry have risen by 161% compared to last year's data, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

There is a rising trend in phishing attacks targeting the global energy industry across the world.

Mobile phishing also surged in the first half of 2021, with nearly 20% of all employees in the energy sector being targeted in mobile phishing attacks, leading to an increase of 161% over the previous six months.

In 67% of all analyzed phishing cases by Lookout researchers, threat actors are performing credential theft.

To conduct these campaigns, the attackers employ email, SMS, phishing apps, and login pages at fake corporate sites.

According to the report from Lookout, the most significant attack surface stems from 56% of Android users running out-of-date and vulnerable versions of the OS. "Outdated versions of Google and Apple operating systems are still in use across the energy industry. Old versions expose organizations to hundreds of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by bad actors seeking access to an organization's environment," explains the report from Lookout.

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