Collaborative phishing attack detection
Described herein are methods, network devices and machine-readable storage media for detecting whether a message is a phishing attack based on the collective responses from one or more individuals who have received that message. The individuals may flag the message as a possible phishing attack, and/or may provide a numerical ranking indicating the likelihood that the message is a possible phishing attack. As responses from different individuals may have a different degree of reliability, each response from an individual may be weighted with a corresponding trustworthiness level of that individual, in an overall determination as to whether a message is a phishing attack. A trustworthiness level of an individual may indicate a degree to which the response of that individual can be trusted and/or relied upon, and may be determined by how well that individual recognized simulated phishing attacks.
1. A method, comprising:
generating a simulated phishing message, the message comprising a predetermined identifier in the message or in metadata of the message;
electronically storing the predetermined identifier in a computerized data store;
receiving a notification triggered by a user action by an individual that a message delivered in an account associated with the individual has been identified by the individual as a possible phishing attack;
determining whether the identified message is a known simulated phishing attack by comparing the predetermined identifier to an identifier from the message or to the metadata of the message;
if the message is determined to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, providing feedback to the individual confirming that the message was a simulated phishing attack; and
if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, forwarding the message for threat analysis;
wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing a characteristic or identifier of the message with a characteristic or identifier of a transmitted simulated phishing attack.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to a computer security technician for analysis to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to computer configured to detect phishing attacks to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack, and processing of the message results in a determination that the message is a real phishing attack, providing feedback to the individual that identified the message as a possible phishing attack confirming that the message was a real phishing attack.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a single graphical user interface action performed by a first individual is sufficient to trigger the notification to be sent from the computing device of the first individual.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising searching through a log of simulated phishing attacks to determine whether the message is a simulated phishing attack.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the message includes one or more of a sender identifier of the message, a recipient identifier of the message, a subject of the message, a time of transmission of the message, and a header of the message.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing the message or a portion of the message with simulated phishing attacks.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises analyzing one or more characteristics of the message at a client-side plug-in.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a plug-in for an e-mail client, wherein the plug-in further provides a single graphical user interface action to be performed by the individual for triggering the notification to be sent from the computing device of the individual.
11. A method, comprising:
generating a simulated phishing message, the message comprising a predetermined identifier in the message or in metadata of the message;
electronically storing the predetermined identifier in a computerized data store;
receiving a notification triggered by a user action by an individual that a message delivered in an account associated with the individual has been identified by the individual as a possible phishing attack;
determining whether the identified message is a known simulated phishing attack by comparing the predetermined identifier to an identifier from the message or to the metadata of the message;
if the message is determined to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, providing feedback to the individual confirming that the message was a simulated phishing attack; and
if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, forwarding the message for threat analysis;
wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing the message or a portion of the message with simulated phishing attacks.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to a computer security technician for analysis to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to computer configured to detect phishing attacks to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack, and processing of the message results in a determination that the message is a real phishing attack, providing feedback to the individual that identified the message as a possible phishing attack confirming that the message was a real phishing attack.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein a single graphical user interface action performed by a first individual is sufficient to trigger the notification to be sent from the computing device of the first individual.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing a characteristic of the message with a characteristic of a transmitted simulated phishing attack.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the message includes one or more of a sender identifier of the message, a recipient identifier of the message, a subject of the message, a time of transmission of the message, and a header of the message.
18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising searching through a log of simulated phishing attacks to determine whether the message is a simulated phishing attack.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises analyzing one or more characteristics of the message at a client-side plug-in.
20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a plug-in for an e-mail client, wherein the plug-in further provides a single graphical user interface action to be performed by the individual for triggering the notification to be sent from the computing device of the individual.
21. A method, comprising:
generating a simulated phishing message, the message comprising a predetermined identifier in the message or in metadata of the message;
electronically storing the predetermined identifier in a computerized data store;
receiving a notification triggered by a user action by an individual that a message delivered in an account associated with the individual has been identified by the individual as a possible phishing attack;
determining whether the identified message is a known simulated phishing attack by comparing the predetermined identifier to an identifier from the message or to the metadata of the message;
if the message is determined to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, providing feedback to the individual confirming that the message was a simulated phishing attack; and
if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack based on the comparison of the identifier, forwarding the message for threat analysis;
wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises analyzing one or more characteristics or identifiers of the message at a client-side plug-in.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to a computer security technician for analysis to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein forwarding the message for analysis further comprises forwarding the message to computer configured to detect phishing attacks to determine if the message is a real phishing attack or not.
24. The method of claim 21 , wherein if the message is determined not to be a known simulated phishing attack, and processing of the message results in a determination that the message is a real phishing attack, providing feedback to the individual that identified the message as a possible phishing attack confirming that the message was a real phishing attack.
25. The method of claim 21 , wherein a single graphical user interface action performed by a first individual is sufficient to trigger the notification to be sent from the computing device of the first individual.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing a characteristic of the message with a characteristic of a transmitted simulated phishing attack.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the characteristic of the message includes one or more of a sender identifier of the message, a recipient identifier of the message, a subject of the message, a time of transmission of the message, and a header of the message.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein determining whether the message is a known simulated phishing attack comprises comparing the message or a portion of the message with simulated phishing attacks.
29. The method of claim 21 , further comprising searching through a log of simulated phishing attacks to determine whether the message is a simulated phishing attack.
30. The method of claim 21 , further comprising providing a plug-in for an e-mail client, wherein the plug-in further provides a single graphical user interface action to be performed by the individual for triggering the notification to be sent from the computing device of the individual.