Everyone agrees that spam emails are annoying. But what happens when you receive 2,000 spam emails all at once? You could spend the time to read each one, or you could quickly glance at them and delete them all. But should you?

This seemingly benign annoyance could be hiding something much more sinister.

You may be in the process of being hit with a DSD attack. A DSD attack is a Distributed Spam Distraction. This method is a special kind of spam attack. The goal of an attack like this is to flood your mailbox with emails with random password resets, newsletters, coupon or invitations,in an attempt to distract you from the scammer’s main goal. In the mix of the hundreds or thousands of spam emails, can be genuine emails from your bank or crypto wallet, informing you of important account changes, password resets, or warnings that your account is being accessed.

These attacks can last anywhere from 12-24hrs. It can start with a first attack of a few hundred emails, followed up a day or two later with a few thousand emails. Even scarier, the tools used in these attacks can be easily purchased on the dark web. The spammer in this case only needs your name and email address, and for as low as $40 up to 20,000 emails can be sent.

If you see this occurring, you need to take your time and review the emails carefully. A DSD attack is an almost guarantee that one of your accounts has been breached. We suggest immediately contacting your financial institutions and cancel any unfamiliar transactions. You should also update your login credentials to any banking or financial site. Additionally, turning on multi-factor authentication helps secure your accounts.

If you or someone you know is currently experiencing a DSD attack, please reach out to Southridge Technology and one of our Security Team members will assist you.