Announcement: Beware of Spear Phishing Attacks Impersonating Preferred Utilities Personnel

Important Annoucement from our Team:
Recently, some business partners received emails claiming to be from David Bohn or one of our executives, offering a secondary “personal” email address for project discussions. Please note, these emails did NOT originate from anyone at Preferred Utilities. These Spear Phishing attacks are generated by malicious actors impersonating Preferred personnel and spoofing our email address.
While this doesn’t indicate an exploitation of our infrastructure, it highlights the growing trend of Social Engineering attacks. Social Engineering encompasses various tactics used by cybercriminals to manipulate individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. Alongside Spear Phishing, other common types of Social Engineering attacks include:
- Phishing: Similar to Spear Phishing, but targets a wider audience rather than specific individuals or organizations. Phishing emails often appear to come from legitimate sources and aim to trick recipients into providing personal information or clicking on malicious links.
- Pretexting: Involves creating a fabricated scenario or pretext to gain the trust of a target. Attackers may pose as trusted individuals or authority figures to extract sensitive information or access.
- Baiting: Offers enticing incentives or rewards to lure victims into taking specific actions, such as downloading malware-infected files or clicking on malicious links.
- Tailgating: Involves physically following an authorized person into a restricted area or gaining unauthorized access by exploiting a person’s trust.
It’s unfortunate that these criminals continue to target unsuspecting individuals, costing millions of dollars each year. Rest assured; no Preferred employee will ever use a personal email address for business matters. Always feel free to verify any unusual requests by calling us directly.
To learn more about Social Engineering and protect yourself from such threats, check out these resources:
🔗 Social Engineering Statistics to Know in 2024 | Resmo
🔗Hacking challenge at DEFCON (youtube.com)
🔗Social engineering cyberattacks and how they’re impacting businesses | Security Info Watch
🔗Cybercrime To Cost The World $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025 (cybersecurityventures.com)
🔗Social Engineering Fraud Insurance Explained – Insurance Training Center
We highly recommend reaching out to your internal IT department or Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure you and your company are protected. For additional assistance, consider contacting Buddy Pitt, vCSO at Logically, our trusted MSP for over 20 years. Stay vigilant and stay safe!