Endpoint Security , Fraud Management & Cybercrime , Governance & Risk Management

Graphus' Amelia Paro on Why Phishing Has Exploded Since 2020

How Hackers Have Upped Their Game With DIY Phishing Kits and the Dark Web
Amelia Paro, director of channel development, Graphus

The shift to work from home caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic came loaded with a spike in phishing attacks, says Graphus Director of Channel Development Amelia Paro.

See Also: Rapid Digitization and Risk: A Roundtable Preview

Work from home means reading corporate email on personal devices and opening messages while distracted by children or pets, increasing the chances employees will click on a malicious link or open a malware-loaded attachment, Paro says. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of Americans who primarily work from home tripled between 2019 and 2021, rising to roughly 27.6 million people.

Attackers have used the opportunity to send more advanced phishing bait, whether by taking advantage of DIY kits or information purchased on the dark web to more convincingly impersonate a legitimate sender (see: The State of Phishing and Email Security).

"Phishing emails nowadays are way more sophisticated than they used to be," Paro says. "Anyone with even mediocre technical aptitude - if they know how to get on the dark web and where to go to purchase these things - can leverage sophisticated attacks against organizations."

In a video interview with Information Security Media Group, Paro also discusses:

  • Why phishing is such a major challenge for businesses;
  • The impact of the pandemic on the threat landscape;
  • How AI can help with investigating email-based threats.

Paro leads the channel team across all of Kaseya including Graphus, working with MSPs and channel partners around the globe. She has over 10 years of experience in the technology industry in B2B and B2C environments, and her past sales experience includes IT hardware/software and IT consulting and services. Paro has managed and grown a successful MSP in Arizona and worked with clients across the U.S. in the financial sector, nonprofits and unions, and Fortune 500 retail organizations. She experienced great success using Graphus and ID Agent's services during her years as an MSP and is passionate about seeing partners gain the same success and profitability.


About the Author

Michael Novinson

Michael Novinson

Managing Editor, Business, ISMG

Novinson is responsible for covering the vendor and technology landscape. Prior to joining ISMG, he spent four and a half years covering all the major cybersecurity vendors at CRN, with a focus on their programs and offerings for IT service providers. He was recognized for his breaking news coverage of the August 2019 coordinated ransomware attack against local governments in Texas as well as for his continued reporting around the SolarWinds hack in late 2020 and early 2021.




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