A phishing kit is a collection of various software utilities such as HTML, images, and code that allow cybercriminals to create and launch a phishing attack . Phishing kits enable people who have little or no knowledge of phishing to create hundreds or thousands of phishing pages and efficiently attack a larger audience.
Hackers use phishing kits to build websites that trick people into thinking they are on a legitimate site . They are shortcuts to launch a phishing attack with little effort by cloning a well-known organization or brand by mirroring its legitimate website. When people visit a phishing website, the homepage, login field, or form on the site looks authentic. Phishing kits are used to build an independent page that imitates a legitimate website and doesn't impact the real site's operation. A phishing kit can also include email templates, sample scripts, and graphics that imitate correspondence from well-known brands. They are used to carry out the following attacks: spear phishing , whale phishing , SMiShing (over text), and vishing (over the phone).
SEE ALSO: What is clone phishing?
Phishing kits usually only last about 36 hours before they are found and removed by security systems. They are realistic enough to trick victims into providing their personal login information. Advanced phishing kits allow cybercriminals to steal sensitive data such as:
Phishing kits can launch hundreds or thousands of phishing pages. Detecting them helps investigators identify and track cybercriminals because phishing kits are usually linked to a designated email address used to illegally collect victim data which investigators can trace back to the phishing kit creators. Healthcare providers need to remain vigilant by doing the following:
SEE ALSO: Protecting healthcare against spear phishing
Healthcare providers need to train employees so they can detect phishing attacks. However, solid cybersecurity protection that includes email security is the only way to ensure protection from a data breach and subsequent HIPAA violation . Paubox Email Suite Plus ensures that phishing emails never reach the inbox. It includes inbound email security features that seamlessly integrate with your current email provider, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 , to help eliminate adware , malware , and other threats. Our patented ExecProtect feature stops display name spoofing attempts before they even hit your inbox. Our HITRUST CSF certified email encryption solution is revolutionizing how healthcare providers protect themselves against cyberattacks and enables them to send HIPAA compliant email directly to their patients’ inboxes.