Verizon has just release their 2014 Data Breach Investigations Report.
Figure 6 shows the rapid growth of cyberespionage:
Figure 61 shows a decline in spearphishing from 95% to 78%.
So, what’s happening? Is spearphishing on the way out? Hardly. Verizon writes:
It’s interesting that, while the array of tools is diverse, the basic methods of gaining access to a victim’s environment are not. The most prolific is the old faithful: spear phishing. We (and others) have covered this ad nauseam in prior reports, but for both of you who have somehow missed it, here goes: A well-crafted and personally/professionally-relevant email is sent to a targeted user(s), prompting them to open an attachment or click a link within the message. Inevitably, they take the bait, at which point malware installs on the system, a backdoor or command channel opens, and the attacker begins a chain of actions moving toward their objective. The proportion of espionage incidents incorporating phishing is lower than our last report (it was 95%), but not because of a drop in actual frequency. This is primarily due to a big increase in the use of strategic web compromises (SWCs) as a method of gaining initial access.
Using SP Guard, IT can determine a list of trusted senders and provide this information to staff in a simple and highly effective manner.
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