Navigating cyber security threats on Black Friday – How to survive the eCommerce avalanche:

As the Black Friday Sale frenzy approaches, businesses should stay vigilant and keep strengthening their cybersecurity defences against potential threats. Cybercriminals capitalise on the increased online traffic during this time, making it imperative for businesses to be proactive in safeguarding both themselves and their employees.

In this article, we’ll delve into specific cyber threats associated with Black Friday, offering detailed insights and actionable recommendations to ensure a secure shopping environment for all.

1. Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks remain a persistent threat during Black Friday, with cybercriminals crafting convincing emails, messages, or websites to trick users into divulging sensitive information. Examples include:

  • Email spoofing: Attackers may send seemingly legitimate emails, mimicking a trusted business, requesting customers to update their account information
  • Fake websites: Cybercriminals create deceptive websites resembling popular e-commerce platforms, tricking users into entering login credentials and personal details.
Recommendations for avoiding phishing attacks:
  • Implement DMARC to authenticate email communications
  • Conduct regular phishing awareness training for employees and customers
  • Utilise email filtering solutions to detect and block phishing attempts
  • Ingest Threat Intelligence feeds to keep up with the newly observed malicious phishing sites.

2. Domain Abuse

Cyber attackers often exploit domain similarities to deceive customers. Examples of domain abuse include:

  • Typosquatting: Malicious actors register domains with slight misspellings of popular brands to intercept unsuspecting users
  • Brand impersonation: Cybercriminals create domains closely resembling legitimate ones, intending to trick customers into providing sensitive information
  • Logo abuse: Attackers use the targeted brand’s logo to make their phishing pages or emails even more appealing and trustworthy
Recommendations for mitigating domain abuse:
  • Monitor domain registrations for variations of your brand name
  • Employ domain monitoring services to detect potential typosquatting domains
  • Implement clear communication channels to inform customers of the official website URL.
  • Implement Brand Logo Monitoring.

3. Credit Card and Personal Information Theft

Protecting customer financial information is crucial to maintaining trust. Examples of credit card and personal information theft include:

  • Magecart attacks: Cybercriminals inject malicious code into e-commerce websites to capture credit card details during transactions
  • Data breaches: Hackers exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to databases containing customer information.
Recommendations for protecting personal information:
  • Use secure and encrypted payment gateways
  • Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
  • Comply with PCI DSS standards to ensure robust data security.

4. Malware Infection Serving Sites

Malicious websites distributing malware pose a significant threat to both customers and businesses. Examples of malware distribution include:

  • Drive-by downloads: Users unknowingly download malware when visiting compromised websites
  • Malicious ads: Cybercriminals inject malicious code into online advertisements, leading users to malware-infected sites.
Recommendations for detecting and avoiding malware:
  • Employ website security tools and conduct regular malware scans
  • Keep website software and plugins updated to patch vulnerabilities
  • Implement a web application firewall (WAF) to filter and block malicious traffic.

5. Key Takeaways

As Black Friday approaches, businesses must be steadfast in bolstering their cybersecurity defences. By understanding the specific threats and implementing proactive measures, you can not only protect your customers and brand reputation but also foster a secure and enjoyable shopping experience. Stay vigilant, stay secure, and let this Black Friday be a celebration of savings without compromising on safety.

Reliance Cyber Customers

Reliance Cyber XDR customers have existing detection and response coverage. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the alerts and detections, depending on the services you have purchased.

  • Phishing Attacks – XDR customers via EDR/SIEM solutions. Phishing Management and Simulation Services can be added.
  • Domain Abuse  – Threat Intelligence Monitoring Services using Recorded Future
  • Credit Card and Personal Information Theft  – Threat Intelligence Monitoring Services via Recorded Future and Vulnerability Management
  • Malware Infection Serving Sites – XDR customers via EDR/SIEM solutions; Threat Intelligence Monitoring Services via Recorded Future for ads targeting your brand

How we can help?

If you are concerned about your security posture and would like to speak with one of our Threat Intelligence team now, please get in touch and one of our experts will be in contact.