Phishing Warning Tool Deactivated Email Copy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phishing emails pose a significant risk to computing systems and networks, as they can deceive recipients into providing sensitive information or installing malicious software, and existing methods struggle to prevent all users from falling victim to such scams, especially when attempting to warn others about phishing emails without spreading the threat.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a processor configured to detect a user's intent to warn others about a phishing email, generating a deactivated representation of the email, and communicating this representation to other users, thereby allowing them to be aware of the phishing email's content without risking vulnerability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users forward phishing emails to warn others, then awareness of the phishing threat is improved, but the spread and effectiveness of phishing emails increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a deactivated copy of the phishing email that preserves the visual appearance and content for warning purposes, but removes all functional elements (hyperlinks, tracking pixels, embedded scripts). Users can forward this safe copy to warn others without propagating the actual phishing threat.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and removes the harmful functional components from the phishing email while retaining the visual content. Specifically, it strips out hyperlinks, tracking mechanisms, and executable elements, leaving only a visual representation that can safely be shared for warning purposes.
2Loss of information
If the original phishing email is forwarded, then the warning message is clear and recognizable, but the harmful effects are propagated to new recipients
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates a visual copy of the phishing email that maintains all的外观 characteristics (layout, text, images) for recognizability, but exists only as a static representation without functional capabilities to harm recipients.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary processing step that transforms the original phishing email into a deactivated version. This intermediary process acts as a mediator between the need for warning and the need for security, converting the harmful email into a safe warning tool.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If phishing emails are deactivated before forwarding, then the spread of phishing is reduced, but the ability to effectively warn users is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a visual copy that preserves all的外观 elements of the phishing email (subject line, body text, layout, images) so that recipients can clearly recognize the threat pattern, while the copy itself is non-functional and cannot propagate harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different properties to different aspects of the email: the visual content retains its original appearance for warning effectiveness, while the functional elements (hyperlinks, scripts, tracking code) are removed or deactivated to prevent harm propagation.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive an email and to detect a click of a button that indicates that a user should be warned about the email being a phishing email. In response to detecting the click of the button, the processor can generate a new email and add a deactivated representation of the received email to the new email. The processor may communicate the new email to the user.