Ethical Hacking News
The rise of native phishing has marked a significant shift in the tactics employed by cyber attackers. This type of phishing attack, which leverages trusted applications and services within the organization's Microsoft 365 suite, has become an increasingly effective means of deceiving users and gaining access to sensitive data. By understanding the tactics used by attackers and taking steps to enhance their security posture, organizations can reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks and protect sensitive data.
Summary: Native phishing, a type of phishing attack that leverages trusted applications and services within the organization's Microsoft 365 suite, has become an increasingly effective means of deceiving users and gaining access to sensitive data. By understanding the tactics used by attackers and taking steps to enhance their security posture, organizations can reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks and protect sensitive data.
Native phishing attacks use trusted applications and services within Microsoft 365 to deceive users and gain access to sensitive data. Attackers leverage AI and no-code platforms to create sophisticated phishing campaigns that bypass traditional security defenses. The trust placed in organization's applications and services is exploited by attackers, often using social engineering techniques. Microsoft OneNote is a vulnerability exploited by attackers due to its flexible formatting and lack of VBA macros support. The consequences of native phishing attacks can be devastating, with significant reputational damage and financial losses. To mitigate the risk, organizations must enhance security defenses through measures like MFA, regular phishing simulations, and AI-powered tool detection and response.
The rise of native phishing has marked a significant shift in the tactics employed by cyber attackers. This type of phishing attack, which leverages trusted applications and services within the organization's Microsoft 365 suite, has become an increasingly effective means of deceiving users and gaining access to sensitive data.
According to recent reports, attackers have been leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and no-code platforms to create sophisticated phishing campaigns. These campaigns often rely on default-trusted tools and free, legitimate services to bypass traditional security defenses and human suspicions. The use of AI-powered website builders, such as Flazio, ClickFunnels, and JotForm, has also become a popular tactic among attackers, who can quickly create customized phishing pages with minimal effort.
In many cases, these phishing campaigns have been successful because they exploit the trust that users place in their organization's applications and services. Attackers will often use social engineering techniques to create convincing emails or notifications that appear to come from a trusted colleague or source within the organization. These tactics are particularly effective when combined with AI-powered tools that can generate realistic content and layouts.
One of the most significant vulnerabilities exploited by attackers is Microsoft OneNote, a note-taking application that defenders often overlook. OneNote's flexible formatting allows attackers to craft deceptive layouts, while its lack of support for VBA macros makes it an attractive target for phishing campaigns. Additionally, OneDrive's built-in file-sharing feature can be used to spread malicious content laterally within the organization.
In recent incidents, Varonis Threat Labs has observed attackers using a straightforward but highly effective method to deliver malicious content. After gaining access to a compromised internal user account through phishing or other means, attackers will create a OneNote file in the compromised user's personal Documents folder on OneDrive, embedding a lure URL for the next phishing stage. This technique allows attackers to bypass traditional security defenses and human suspicions, as well as leveraging the trust that users place in their organization's applications and services.
The consequences of this type of attack can be devastating, with organizations experiencing significant reputational damage, financial losses, and even data breaches. In fact, a recent report by Varonis found that no organization is breach-proof, and that 99% of organizations have exposed sensitive data that can easily be surfaced by AI-powered phishing attacks.
To mitigate the risk of native phishing, organizations must take proactive steps to enhance their security defenses. This includes enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and conditional access for all users, running regular phishing and vishing simulations, making it easy to report suspicious activity, reviewing and tightening Microsoft 365 sharing settings, and setting alerts for unusual file-sharing behavior.
Furthermore, the use of AI-powered tools to detect and respond to native phishing attacks can also be an effective way to protect organizations. Varonis, a leading provider of data security solutions, offers real-time monitoring and analytics capabilities that can help identify and respond to phishing campaigns in real-time.
In conclusion, the rise of native phishing has marked a significant shift in the tactics employed by cyber attackers. As AI-powered tools continue to evolve and improve, it is essential for organizations to stay vigilant and proactive in their security defenses. By understanding the tactics used by attackers and taking steps to enhance their security posture, organizations can reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks and protect sensitive data.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Growing-Threat-of-Native-Phishing-How-Microsoft-365-Apps-Are-Being-Exploited-by-Attackers-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/the-rise-of-native-phishing-microsoft-365-apps-abused-in-attacks/
https://cybersecuritynews.com/new-sophisticated-phishing-attack/
Published: Mon Aug 11 11:29:53 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
