Combat phishing attacks from all email domains

Return Path announced that its Anti-Phishing Solutions have expanded to enable brand owners to combat attacks from all email domains, including those beyond their control.

This represents a product capable of identifying fraudulent email from so-called lookalike domains (close variants of brand names) and from domains entirely unrelated to the brands being targeted in phishing or spoofing attacks. Of the types of phishing attacks that attempt to defraud consumers on a daily basis, most fall into this category – not appearing to come from targeted brands’ addresses.

This new capability provides companies with visibility into the entire spectrum of phishing attacks against their brands. It complements traditional authentication-based solutions such as DMARC, which offer visibility into fraudulent email appearing to originate from a company’s own sending domains.

“This is a monumental breakthrough in the fight to protect companies and consumers from phishing and other forms of email brand abuse. Our clients have reported that more than half of phishing attacks against their brands appear to come from domains beyond their control. Now brands can detect and mitigate attempts to use their names to deceive consumers through email regardless of where the messages appear to come from,” said Ken Takahashi, general manager of Anti-Phishing Solutions at Return path. “Phishing is a security problem, but solving it isn’t a conventional security challenge, it’s a big data challenge.”

Comprehensively monitoring all types of phishing threats requires forensic intelligence from massive data sets, including a wide array of sources, to support the scope and speed of detection necessary to quickly uncover and stop attacks.

When the Return Path solution identifies an attack, it immediately details the duration and size, and connects brand owners to takedown protocols that can quickly stop the abusive mail and create documentation to support proactive measures, including prosecution of abusive operators.

This solution was developed in conjunction with top brands in the financial services, social networking, and retail industries. Return Path’s participation in leading industry groups also played an important role in shaping a data-driven approach to fighting the complete range of phishing types.

“Phishing remains a serious threat to online trust and the reliability of the email channel, and efforts like this from an Anti-Phishing Working Group member company represent important progress toward eradicating it,” said Foy Shiver, Deputy Secretary-General, APWG.

“Authentication-based solutions have shown great promise to help stop phishing attacks targeting brand owners’ top level domains, but attacks targeting external domains continue to grow, creating a significant threat to consumers, the foundation of online trust. We’re encouraged by the advancement by Return Path to help brand owners combat the full spectrum of email-based fraud,” said Craig Spiezle, Executive Director and President of the Online Trust Alliance.