TABLE OF CONTENTS As we discussed in the previous chapter, phishers tend to take advantage of as many elements of exploitation that are available to them. Unfortunately, unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE), otherwise known as spam, is one of the exploitable elements. Phishing falls into the spam category of scams. Phishers have been known to utilize the techniques of traditional spammers to harvest e-mail addresses, bypass antispam filters, and send their bulk mailings. Extended observation of phishing organizations has revealed that they have varied skills and talents. This chapter addresses the particular talents of the spammer s approach to phishing. To begin, we will review e-mail basics to help demonstrate some of the exploitations used so you can gain a full understanding of how the exploitation is performed.
E-mail contains specific key elements that enable it to communicate and route to the correct places. The design of the e-mail system is what makes e-mail one of the most efficient forms of communication today. Ironically, the e-mail system s infrastructure is similar to that of the traditional post office in that it requires you to have routable addresses enabling mail to be delivered. The mail server is similar to your human mail carrier, and the mail client is you physically walking to your mailbox.
To begin, let s dive into understanding how the user goes about creating, sending, and receiving e-mail. We ll finish with a discussion of how to forge e-mail.
The process of sending and receiving e-mail involves two types of...
