Introduction to Unphish
Phishing has evolved into an omni-channel issue. With hundreds of thousands of registrars, ISPs, content hosts, and social media platforms operating under diverse policies, laws, and languages, the removal of phishing content is often a slow, cumbersome process for brands and their targeted customers.
Discovering a phishing website, malicious domain name, or fake social media property is just the first step; the subsequent process to remove the infringing content is typically slow and fraught with challenges. We have decided to tackle this decentralized and frustrating reporting of phishing properties and online abuse. Our goal is to simplify the process and provide our customers with a unified interface, regardless of the registrar, host, or social media platform involved.
As many of our customers are aware, our enforcement service is among the most effective in the region for taking down malicious domain names, compromised websites, and fake social media accounts. Unphish will significantly enhance this service. It will enable clients to experience a consistent reporting process regardless of the platform involved. Unphish aims to automatically generate tailored phishing reports, automate submissions, and integrate a case management workflow to ensure follow-up until resolution.
Phishing is now an Omni-channel threat
13 Million
Malicious domain names registered every month
1.62M (Up 20%)
Phishing web sites (attacks) detected in q1 2023
55%
of phishing websites use targeted brand names
12%
of all phishing attacks are deployed thru social media
Reporting Challenges we are addressing
Organisations today are grappling with the cumbersome and inefficient process of reporting phishing incidents. This inefficiency is often compounded by users’ limited understanding and incorrect reporting methods, leading to delays in decision-making and allowing phishing operations to continue unchecked. The lack of a streamlined reporting procedure means that valuable time is lost, and the window for proactive measures to pre-emptively dismantle phishing operations narrows considerably.
Furthermore, there is a striking absence of unified and intelligent reporting tools that can address the diverse and complex landscape of domain names, websites, and social media abuse. This fragmentation results in inconsistent reporting processes across various platforms, creating a logistical nightmare for organizations seeking to protect their online presence. The current mechanisms for DNS abuse reporting, as per the DNS Abuse Institute, are inconsistent and lack specific timelines, further complicating the swift handling of abuse reports. Additionally, registrars’ significant non-compliance with DNS abuse mitigation requirements, as audited by ICANN, adds another layer of challenge in the fight against online threats.
Complications extend to web hosting and social media platforms, where the responsiveness to abuse reports is inconsistent at best. With only a fraction of providers taking prompt action, IM in particular has become a hotbed for scams that lead to substantial financial losses. The need for a robust solution is evident. Unphish steps into this issue, offering a comprehensive tool that aims to unify and streamline the reporting process, enabling organizations
How does Unphish work?
Unphish - Phase 1 (beta)
Unphish Phase 1 introduces a platform with a modular design and an intuitive interface, equipped with a comprehensive suite of tools.
The Enforcement Centre enables brands to detect threats across various platforms and facilitates meticulous documentation and reporting of cases. Clients can explore each infringement in detail, accessing information such as screenshots, metadata, actions taken, and detailed notes, which provide deep insights into each case.
Our Enforcement Analytics Dashboard delivers in-depth analytics, giving clients a macro view of their threat environment. This includes data on different threats over time, platform hot spots, caseload analytics, and highlights the most common types of issues a client may encounter. This intelligence clarifies the “what”, “why”, “when”, “where”, and “how” of attacks against your brand.
We are also excited to announce the upcoming launch of the Infringement Centre, a streamlined solution for identifying, reporting, and managing online brand infringements. Leveraging multiple threat intelligence sources, it detects malicious activities across domains, web, and social media, offering options to enforce, hold, or ignore these infringements.
Issues Unphish Address
Impersonation on the web
Malicious Domains: Unphish actively targets fake social media profiles where malicious actors impersonate senior executives, staff members, or individuals with significant public presence and large social media followings. By leveraging our comprehensive understanding of various platforms' Terms of Service and impersonation policies, we collaborate closely with social media platforms to proactively identify and remove pages and profiles that fraudulently replicate these individuals. This approach not only prevents the spread of misinformation but also protects the identity and reputation of the people being impersonated, ensuring a safer online environment for both public figures and their followers.
Compromised Websites: Unphish addresses compromised websites by capturing all critical data necessary to manage the case effectively. The platform features advanced workflows that facilitate coordination with web hosting providers and website owners, aiming to remove infringing content swiftly. This process not only ensures the removal of harmful material but also helps secure the compromised web environments, preventing them from posing any further threats. Through this structured approach, Unphish enhances the security and integrity of online presences
Copyright & Trademark: Unphish efficiently gathers all necessary data to formulate precise DMCA or copyright or trademark infringement notices by scanning websites for infringing content and capturing relevant metadata and content details. This compiled information enables Unphish to generate detailed infringement notices, which are then directly submitted to the content hosts and website owners. By streamlining the process and providing clear documentation, Unphish facilitates prompt communication and effective resolution, ensuring the swift takedown of infringing content while adhering to legal standards and protecting copyright holders' rights.
Impersonation on social media
Fake Social Media Accounts: Unphish proactively addresses the issue of fake corporate accounts by shutting down unauthorized social media accounts that impersonate official corporate brands, effectively preventing them from misleading customers and harming brand reputations. Our approach utilizes sophisticated workflows and a deep understanding of major social media platforms' impersonation policies, Terms of Service, and a strong working relationship with the relevant abuse teams. This strategic alignment allows us to efficiently identify, report, and facilitate the rapid removal of these counterfeit accounts, ensuring swift enforcement actions that uphold the integrity of genuine brands.
Fake Social Media Profiles: Unphish actively targets fake social media profiles where malicious actors impersonate senior executives, staff members, or individuals with significant public presence and large social media followings. By leveraging our comprehensive understanding of various platforms' Terms of Service and impersonation policies, we collaborate closely with social media platforms to proactively identify and remove pages and profiles that fraudulently replicate these individuals. This approach not only prevents the spread of misinformation but also protects the identity and reputation of the people being impersonated, ensuring a safer online environment for both public figures and their followers.
Bad Faith Copyright & Trademark Issues: Unphish efficiently gathers all necessary data to formulate precise DMCA or copyright or trademark infringement notices by scanning websites for infringing content and capturing relevant metadata and content details. This compiled information enables Unphish to generate detailed infringement notices, which are then directly submitted to the content hosts and website owners. By streamlining the process and providing clear documentation, Unphish facilitates prompt communication and effective resolution, ensuring the swift takedown of infringing content while adhering to legal standards and protecting copyright holders' rights.
Other platforms we enforce
Generic Email Phishing Attacks: Phishing email attacks using free services like gmail or hotmail are surprisingly effective. Unphish generic phishing email attacks by working with the provider to quickly suspend phishing email accounts and all other related services
Fake Reviews and Social Proofing: Attackers use fake reviews and social proof tactics to lend credibility to their phishing schemes. Unphish can employ authenticity checks to spot and report coordinated fake review campaigns and work with the platform to remove inline with their ToS
Instant Messaging has become a hotspot for cybercriminals due to the anonymity it provides. Unphish collaborates with these platforms to ensure that our clients' brands are not being misused or misrepresented. Our in-depth knowledge of their Terms of Service and direct access to abuse teams help expedite the takedown process.
Leaked Data: Unphish efficiently tracks and enforces against sensitive data leaks across social media, the web, and instant messaging by leveraging advanced monitoring technology to detect unauthorized disclosures. We identify data indicative of leaks, enabling rapid response and enforcement actions. Collaborating directly with platform abuse teams, Unphish swiftly removes exposed data and secures breached channels, effectively mitigating potential damages.
Fake Ads: Unphish addresses fake advertisements on platforms like Meta Ads through automated sweeps to detect ads that target brands or mislead consumers into phishing schemes. Upon identifying a fraudulent ad, Unphish leverages its understanding of the platform's advertising policies to quickly report and request the removal of deceptive content.
About brandsec
brandsec is an Australian domain name management provider that offers online brand management solutions to corporate and government organisations. Our services include domain name management, domain name security, domain name policy development, dispute management, monitoring, and enforcement services. Additionally, brandsec offers a comprehensive online brand protection service that covers various platforms such as websites, social media, email, and online marketplaces. The service addresses issues related to counterfeiting, fakes, copyright infringement, intellectual property (IP) matters, piracy, and other intellectual protection-related issues.
