Spear phishing attacks target Scott Air Force Base Published June 23, 2010 By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Spear phishing is a specialized form of phishing. While normal phishing is almost always for the purpose of identity theft by criminals, spear phishing against government and military users and systems is typically an attempt to gather information and intelligence by foreign adversaries. These attacks are specifically targeted attacks in e-mails and attachments that contain information such as the victim's name, boss' name, organization and even relevant professional or military jargon to trick the targeted person into thinking the e-mail is from a trusted source. Spear phishers send e-mails with an attachment or web link that will load malicious software onto the targeted user's computer. Oftentimes, the malicious software is a key logger, a program that records keys typed on a keyboard such as Computer Access Card pins, usernames and passwords, and sends the information to the adversary. To protect against these attacks, users should double-check website addresses and never click on a link they aren't sure about. All official military websites and web links should end in ".mil" and start with "https://." Unfortunately, even if a web address has these elements, it can have an embedded link that takes users somewhere other than where it says. To combat this, open an empty browser and type the link into the browser rather than clicking on the link. It's also important to ensure the e-mail is digitally signed--this is the recipient's first sign of authentication. "If there's not a digital signature present and the e-mail is directing you to open an attachment or go to a website, this would be a good indication of spear phishing, especially if the e-mail is unsolicited," said Shai'Kenya Williams-Brown, 375th Communications Squadron Network Battle Management Cyber Defense Specialist. With social media on the rise and now accessible through government computers, ensure you do not share significant information on your military affiliations or activities. Adversaries are combing these sites to help make spear phishing attack e-mails more believable. Social network sites are joining e-mail as a medium for adversaries to target military users. Status update e-mails can contain links with malicious content and users should use the same cautions outlined above for e-mail. When an attack is suspected, users should immediately contact their Computer System Administrator or Scott Communications Focal Point at 256-2666.