The number of phishing websites has hit a record high,
but the number of actual phishing attacks is down, according to
industry body the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).
Phishing is where criminals try to lure internet users to spoof
company websites in an attempt to glean sensitive information.
The APWG said 5,260 phishing sites were recorded in August, up
from 4,565 in July.
However, the number of spam e-mail campaigns to lure people to
phishing sites decreased for the second month in a row, from 14,135
to 13,775.
The APWG said increased awareness of phishing meant phishing
sites were being taken down earlier, and phishers were being forced
to use more servers to sustain their scams, meaning costs were
higher.
The average number of days a phishing site is online dropped to
an average of 5.5 days in August, down from 5.9 days in July.
