Rising Trend of Phishing Attacks on Corporate Organisations in Cross River State, Nigeria

This study examines the rising incidence of phishing and its impact on the survival of corporate organisations in Cross River State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey research design which allows the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods is applied. Questionnaires were distributed to 1074 respondents purposively selected from 18 financial institutions, 4 telecommunication network providers and 2 manufacturing companies, while in-depth interviews were conducted on 13 participants across the selected corporate organisations. The presentation of data is done using frequency distribution tables and chart while the qualitative data were content analysized. The study concludes that phishing is on the increase and corporate organisations in Cross River State are losing fortunes to the activities of phishers. This development the study reveals has forced organisations to lose trade and competitiveness, destroying consumers’ confidence in the organisations and their products/services, among others. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that corporate organisations should invest more resources and time in sensitizing staff and customers on how to stay safe from cybercriminals and their villainous activities. Also, customers should verify the authenticity of the correspondence between them and the various organisations they transact business with, before responding to such mails, especially when it involves divulging sensitive information about themselves.