Threat Description

Wandera has detected an email address sent in an unencrypted (or easily decrypted) format, as it was transmitted across the Internet.

Further threats resulting from email leaks include:

• The inherent format of email addresses may enable an attacker to identify the user and the organization they represent. Based upon the interests of the attacker, this knowledge could be used to perform more targeted attacks against this specific user or your organization using hacking practices such as spear-phishing.
• Correlating an email address and sites being accessed enables third-party intermediaries to gain insights into the browsing and usage habits of the email address owner.

This unencrypted data can be captured by an attacker through the following attack vectors:

• Public WiFi Networks: An attacker can easily “sniff” unencrypted traffic on WiFi networks that are not password protected. These are often found in public places such as coffee shops, airports, and other community locations.
• Nefarious intermediaries or network operators: Even on encrypted wireless networks, this data traverses other network equipment across the Internet in an unencrypted format to reach its destination. This data could be collected at any point without any way to detect if such access has occurred.