Phishing email analysis

Phishing email analysis is the process of examining a suspicious email to determine whether it is a legitimate message or a phishing attempt. Here are some steps to analyze a phishing email:

1. Initial Inspection: Look at the email's subject line, sender's email address, and the body of the email. Check for any obvious red flags such as misspelled words, poor grammar, or suspicious links.
2. Verify the Sender's Email Address: Check the sender's email address to ensure it is legitimate. Phishing emails often use fake or spoofed email addresses that may look similar to a legitimate one.
3. Check for Grammar and Spelling Errors: Phishing emails often contain grammatical and spelling errors. Legitimate emails from reputable companies usually have proper grammar and spelling.
4. Look for Urgency: Phishing emails often try to create a sense of urgency to prompt the recipient into taking action. Legitimate emails usually don't create a sense of urgency.
5. Check for Suspicious Links: Hover over any links in the email to see if they lead to a legitimate website. Be cautious of links that start with "http" or "https" followed by a series of random characters.
6. Check for Suspicious Attachments: Be cautious of attachments from unknown senders. Legitimate emails usually don't send attachments from unknown senders.
7. Check for Legitimate Branding: Legitimate emails usually have the company's logo and branding. Phishing emails often lack or have poor branding.
8. Check for Poor Formatting: Phishing emails often have poor formatting, such as inconsistent font sizes and styles.
9. Check for Unusual Request: Legitimate emails usually don't ask for sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers.
10. Use Online Tools: Use online tools such as PhishTank or URLhaus to check if the email is a known phishing attempt.
11. Report the Email: If you're unsure about the email, report it to the email provider or the company mentioned in the email.

Some common phishing email tactics to look out for:

• CEO Fraud: Emails that claim to be from a CEO or executive asking for sensitive information or money.
• Phishing for Passwords: Emails that ask for login credentials or passwords.
• Fake Invoices: Emails that claim to be from a legitimate company with a fake invoice or payment request.
• Malware Attachments: Emails that contain malware attachments that can harm your device.
• Whaling: Emails that target high-level executives or employees with sensitive information.

By following these steps and being aware of common phishing tactics, you can reduce the risk of falling victim to phishing attacks.