One in five advanced email attacks were successful in 2022, with 92 per cent of organisations experiencing ransomware attacks over email this year.

According to a new report by security firm Tessian, 94 per cent of organisations experienced a spear phishing or impersonation attack with US organisations receiving 1.5 times more attacks than the global average.

Ten per cent of those surveyed for the report said they had received over 450 email-based ransomware attacks since the start of the year. Over 70 per cent had experienced an account compromise or take over, which occurs when a threat actor acquires legitimate login details and uses them to send more attacks.

The report found that there is also a threat of insider risk. Over 90 per cent of companies experienced a data breach caused by an employee making a mistake on an email. This includes sending an email to the wrong person or neglecting to send the correct attachment.

Around a third of those questioned said that their business had lost a client because of a security error and almost a quarter of respondents had lost their job because of the mistake.

Commenting on the report Josh Yavor, chief information security officer at Tessian, said that email would always be a target for those seeking to compromise a business.

"We can also expect threats to continue to expand into other communication platforms like instant messaging tools, personal email or social media accounts as attackers seek to evade detection," said Yavor.

He added: "To keep employees secure on email, organisations should be proactive in delivering security training that addresses the common types of threats on email that's tailored and personalised to their role and department.”

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