The digital world we live in has allowed most people to have an online presence. While this has created many opportunities, it has allowed people with malicious intent to take advantage of others. With that in mind, you might be wondering about the difference between spear phishing and phishing. Most people are familiar with the concept of phishing, as these are common scams that slip into your inbox and promise outrageous incentives and riches. Both spear phishing and phishing spread malware through downloads and malicious links, which can be difficult to differentiate.
What Is Spear Phishing?
This is a more advanced form of phishing, which uses specific and targeted attacks. Regular phishing usually attempts to scam the masses. Scammers in spear phishing use social engineering and spoofed emails to target an organization or individual. They achieve this by impersonating colleagues, family members, or business acquaintances.
What Is Phishing?
Regular phishing aims to scam the masses. This is the main difference between phishing and spear phishing. Scammers cast a wide net by spreading emails, phone calls, or text messages. The goal is to get at least one successful scam out of thousands. Unlike spear phishing, scammers use urgent and impersonal language to manipulate people into downloading malicious files, disclosing private information, or clicking unsafe links.
Spear Phishing Vs Phishing
Now that you know what spear phishing and phishing are, let’s look at the differences to help you make informed decisions.
Attack Style
Spear phishing targets a specific individual or organization. Scammers study their targets’ habits, environment, and preferences, making it harder for victims to realize it is a trap. When it comes to regular phishing, scammers cast a broad net with the goal of scamming as many people as possible. This usually doesn’t show concern for quality, as the focus is on quantity.
Personalization
Cybercriminals in spear phishing spend understanding their target’s habits, interests, and relationships. This allows them to personalize messages that appear legitimate to the recipient, making the deception more convincing. On the other hand, phishing emails lack personalization since the goal is to scam as many people as possible.
Urgency
Spear phishing starts by building trust over time so that the recipient feels less suspicious and more comfortable. With regular phishing, urgency is the main tactic, as scam emails create a sense of immediate action, such as “click here.”
Both scams have the power to damage an organization’s credibility and should be avoided. Contact Jett Business Technology and schedule a consultation with our experts to protect your brand identity and boost security. We provide the best IT support, ensuring you access top-notch Atlanta IT-managed services.
