Phishing Dip: Calm Before the Storm?

Phishing attacks took a surprising dip in August, according to an analysis of global online fraud trends by security vendor RSA.

But Limor Kessem, RSA's lead cyberintelligence expert, says it's not time for celebration just yet. In fact, Kessem says phishing attacks tracked in September are likely to offset August's curious dip.

"There is always fluctuation, so we have to look at trends that cover a longer time lapse," Kessem says.

RSA's key findings included:

• Phishing attacks globally dropped 17 percent in August, compared to the previous month;
• 45 percent of August's attacks were aimed at consumers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia; and
• U.S. banking institutions saw a 7 percent decrease in attacks in August that misused their brands.

Still, phishing attacks feigning to be from U.S. banks and credit unions accounted for two out of every three attacks in August. And relative to quarterly trends, August's dip appears to be anomalous, Kessem says.

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