HMRC stopped 30,000 phishing emails with DMARC

HMRC stopped 30,000 phishing emails with DMARC

HMRC has just completed a three-year project to improve its cybersecurity and prevent phishing emails. As one of the most phished brands in the world, the government organisation implemented ‘Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance’ (DMARC) to stop fraudulent and potentially damaging emails being sent to the British public.

HMRC purportedly struggles with around 500 million fraudulent emails per year. Often these emails appear legitimate, with subjects such as ‘Your 2016 Tax Report’. Spoof emails claiming to be from HMRC also commonly promise rebates or make threats about penalties. Provoking unfortunate victims into parting with sensitive bank details, by presenting themselves as legitimate HMRC employees, the cybercriminals behind these scams have attempted to extort money from around 50 million users, and reportedly made over £100 million in stolen funds to date.

DMARC technology is a proven way to block phishing attacks. For HMRC, this prevents malicious senders from impersonating its domain, a common method used for phishing attempts. DMARC can also detect unauthorised activity and request that suspect messages are blocked or discarded. So, it can identify spam and phishing messages, and make sure they never reach people’s inboxes. Whilst DMARC has not eradicated all phishing attempts, HMRC has managed to reduce the number of such emails by a whopping 300 million.

While HMRC was the first government agency to implement this protocol, in a bid to offer the British public the highest possible levels of protection, DMARC is now a requirement for all governmental digital services. Furthermore, as the sophistication of scammers increases, DMARC is set to become increasingly important across all sectors; not least the legal profession; with email a law firm’s biggest risk when it comes to cybercrime.

As such, Lawyer Checker – which provides technology and products to help protect lawyers and consumers – has recently added OnDMARC to its range of risk management products.

“More than 60% of all cybercrimes reported to us are email modification frauds”. SRA Risk Outlook 2017/18

OnDMARC is a web-based service that allows firms to secure their email effectively by implementing DMARC through its online platform. Helping to protect staff and clients from receiving and falling victim to email modification fraud and preventing third-parties from impersonating your email address, OnDMARC will actively block phishing attacks and safeguard your firm.

Find out here how to get the support you need to implement OnDMARC confidently and quickly.

To find out how DMARC could help to protect your firm against the growing risk of email modification fraud, please click here.

FREE Webinar – DMARC, Email Spoofing & How To Protect Yourself

Presented by Victoria Cope, 30th April 2.30pm – 3.00pm. Register Now

 

This article was submitted to be published by Lawyer Checker as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Conveyancer.

Dye & Durham

https://dyedurham.com/

Dye & Durham to discuss the environmental perils Dye & Durham UK is one of the largest providers of property information services in England and Wales, allowing legal and business professionals access to an extensive network of data and insights related to:

  • Environmental and flood
  • Local authority and land charges
  • Planning, drainage, and water
  • Mining and subsidence
  • Chancel liabilities, and much more.
Through our various products, customers can perform CQS standard searches, access Law Society forms, and integrate with HMRC and HMLR through our cloud-based platform. We help firms improve the precision, confidence, and rigour of their operations. Our standardised and automated workflows provide greater operational efficiency and productivity. Our team are leading experts in environmental risk, ground and climate hazards, conveyancing risk and fraud prevention. Bringing together the foresight of Terrafirma, the data expertise of Future Climate Info, and the operational confidence of Lawyer Checker, Dye & Durham provides best-in-class complete due diligence solutions for property transactions. ​Dye & Durham Limited provides critical information services and workflows, which clients use to manage their process, information, and regulatory requirements. The Company has operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Key Services: Company Address: Dye & Durham, 2440 The Quadrant, Aztec West Business Park, Bristol, BS32 4AQ , United Kingdom Contact:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *