Elections are a time of heightened emotions and public interest. Cybercriminals use interest in these events to make their phishing email more effective. Political phishing lures may appear to come from a credible news source or a politician's campaign and reference current events. Some threat actors use them to spread misinformation.
Follow these helpful tips for avoiding political phishing attacks:
Look for mismatches between the sender and the expected sending address.
Be wary of unexpected links or attachments.
Be cautious if an appeal seems urgent or triggers strong emotions.
Be skeptical of communications promising to link to revelations about a candidate.
Always navigate directly to a trusted news site.
For more information, watch Attack Spotlight: Political Phishing Scams, a three-minute video on this topic.