Email Spoofing: What it is, why it is dangerous and how to protect yourself effectively

Email is a fundamental tool in our personal and professional lives, but it is also one of the favorite means for cybercriminals to perpetrate fraud. A growing method of attack is called email spoofing. This involves cybercriminals impersonating legitimate and trustworthy senders in order to deceive their victims. In this article we describe what it is, why it is so dangerous, and how to protect yourself effectively.

What is Email Spoofing?

Email spoofing consists of impersonating a known sender with an apparently legitimate email that is actually dangerous and fraudulent. This is achieved by manipulating the message headers, especially the “From” field, to pretend that it comes from a trusted source, such as a bank, a well-known company or an official institutions. The objective is to obtain data such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank accounts, identity documents, etc., and to make an illicit financial gain or profit from it.

This is possible because the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), which governs the sending of emails, lacks robust authentication mechanisms. Cybercriminals exploit this technical weakness. In this way, they manage to fool both victims and basic security filters.

Impersonation by means of electronic resources is included in the crime of fraud regulated in Article 249.1.a) of the Spanish Penal Code.

Differences between Email Spoofing and Phising

Email spoofing and phishing have different objectives and techniques to deceive people.

In email spoofing, email headers are altered to make them appear to be from a trusted source. In phishing, fraudulent attempts are made to obtain sensitive data by impersonating a trustworthy entity.

In email spoofing the main objective is to deceive recipients about the identity of the sender. In phishing, the main objective is to trick recipients into revealing personal information or installing malware.

In email spoofing, the techniques consist of using forged sender addresses and manipulated headers. In phishing, fake websites, malicious attachments and social engineering are used.

Email Spoofing, an increasingly used attack

According to recent data, 90% of attacks on companies come from malicious emails.

One of the reasons for such a statistic lies in how artificial intelligence has raised the level of these attacks. AI-based technologies allow attackers to generate increasingly convincing messages, eliminating errors that previously gave them away.

Some types of Email Spoofing

Attackers use different resources to impersonate identities. Among the most common are:

1. Impersonation of the visible name (forgery of the “From:” field): The sender’s name is changed, but the underlying address is spoofed.
2. Typosquatting: Domains similar to the original are used, with minimal changes that usually go unnoticed.
3. Use of foreign characters: This consists of replacing letters with visually similar characters from other alphabets, such as the Cyrillic “о” instead of the Latin “o”.
4. Compromised accounts: Emails are sent from previously hacked legitimate accounts.

How to recognize Email Spoofing

Although attackers are constantly refining their tactics, there are clear signs that can help identify a fraudulent email:

1. Suspicious sender address: Check carefully for typos or subtle variations.
2. Alarming or urgent content: Messages that demand immediate action, such as data transfers or updates, are often fraudulent.
3. Grammar and formatting errors: Although less common in sophisticated attacks, they are a common sign.
4. Suspicious links: Before clicking, place the cursor over the link to check its actual destination.
5. Mail headers: Analyzing headers can reveal inconsistencies in origin servers.

How to protect yourself against Email Spoofing

Preventing email spoofing attacks requires a combination of technical strategies, education and best practices.

Implementation of technical measures

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Allows you to specify which servers are authorized to send mail on behalf of a domain.
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature that verifies the authenticity of the mail.
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): Integrates SPF and DKIM to block unauthenticated messages and generate reports on spoofing attempts.

Configuring these protocols correctly is crucial to ensure their effectiveness.

Use of technological solutions

• Advanced mail filters: Detect and block suspicious messages.
• Domain monitoring: Identifies fraudulent registrations that mimic corporate domains.
• Content and metadata monitoring: Identifies web pages that have cloned an official page or make fraudulent use of an entity’s name.

Education and awareness

Training is essential to reduce the risk of attacks. Many organizations conduct phishing simulations to teach staff how to recognize suspicious emails. In addition, it is important to inform customers on how to verify the authenticity of messages.

Good practices

• Never click on links included in suspicious emails.
• Access websites by typing the URL directly into the browser.
• Keep operating systems up to date and use reliable antivirus software.
• If you have doubts about an e-mail, confirm directly with the sender through an alternative channel.
• Avoid entering personal or banking data in a web page accessed through a link included in an email.
• Do not download any attachments in alarming, suspicious or unsolicited e-mails.
• At the slightest warning sign, be wary and do not interact with the message,

Email spoofing is a constantly evolving threat that combines technical vulnerabilities and psychological manipulation tactics. Taking preventative measures, such as implementing authentication protocols and cybersecurity awareness, is essential to mitigate risks.Protecting yourself means staying informed and acting proactively. Subscribe to our blog to receive updates on the latest cybersecurity threats and practical tips to keep you safe. Prevention is always one of the best defenses.