Phishing Test for US Airmen Turns Up Unexpected Results

A security training drill at the US Air Force created a fake murmur regarding the "Transformers 3" film shooting, but it succeeded in making many conscious about phishing problems. However, it also succeeded in doing something that nobody anticipated.

The fraudulent online phishing message stated that "Transformers 3" film was about to be shot on Guam, therefore airmen who were interested in shooting it were requested to give in completed applications via an Internet site. Thereafter, the site directed them to provide personal information.

Sadly, the scam became muddled up when people getting the e-mail, in addition to replying to it, communicated it to all their buddies i.e. members of the forum belonging to the Comicbookmovie.com fan site that killer alien robot franchise of Michael Bay was in the Pacific, shipping up. .

Consequently, the heightening Internet gossip that ensued prompted the media to cover the so-called filming along with many queries of the public.

But when these queries emerged, officials of the 36th Communications Squadron of the Guam Air Force Base that executed the drill had to provide a formal clarification.

Stated Andersen AFB, its leaders were sorry about the rising misunderstanding among the public about the mock phishing exercise. Theregister.co.uk reported this during the end-week of April 2010. Andersen continued that they nevertheless hoped that the exercise would demonstrate that everyone required remaining cautious of phishing e-mails' risks, while people outside the contingent too would learn from it.

Meanwhile, remarking about the false nature of the training exercise, Consultant Sherri Davidoff with Lake Missoula Group who carries out these kinds of drills across the industry of financial services stated that organizations performing the training exercises required ensuring two things. First, the drills must be properly mentioned in company rules. Second, organizations required thinking carefully the promises made in the phishing messages, Davidoff added. Networkworld.com reported this during the end-week of April 2010.

Finally, having unexpected outcomes from a security awareness drill isn't something new. During August 2009, when a federal agency supervising US credit unions conducted a test over the computers of a bank, it had to give out a warning of fraud pertaining to an approved penetration testing that MicroSolved, a security company, conducted.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 5/24/2010