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Phishing attacks rise during Thanksgiving week

New data has revealed a rise in online threats during this year's Thanksgiving week, which recorded a 300 per cent increase in phishing threats.

According to the world leader in cyber intelligence, Cyveillance, for the second consecutive year cyber crooks took advantage of the week as 8,298 attacks were recorded.

Panos Anastassiadis, the chief executive officer of Cyveillance says the figures validate a trend spotted in 2007 and they show that "online criminals are still targeting unsuspecting internet users during long holiday weekends".

"During this down economy, online criminals are undoubtedly trying to take advantage of online shoppers looking for holiday deals," he said.

"The hectic nature of the holiday season, combined with a lack of structured security set the stage for criminals to take advantage of vulnerable users."

This spike is a result of criminals taking advantage of "historically lax" security measures during long holiday weekends, says the firm, which uses an intelligence-led approach to security.

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