Can you spot the difference between company.com and compαny.com?
If you can’t, you’re not alone. That’s exactly what attackers are counting on.
Homograph attacks, also known as homoglyph attacks, are a type of cyber deception. Attackers exploit visual similarities between characters from different alphabets to create fake domain names that look identical to legitimate ones. And they’re becoming a serious threat to organizations everywhere.
What Are Homograph Attacks?
A homograph attack uses characters from different scripts that look almost identical. For example, the Latin letter “a” and the Cyrillic letter “α” look the same to the human eye. Attackers replace characters in legitimate domain names with these lookalikes.
So facebook.com (using Latin characters) becomes fαcebook.com (using a Cyrillic character). When someone clicks on a link to the fake domain, they land on a website that looks exactly like the real one. They enter their credentials. And just like that, the attacker has access.
Why C-Suite Leaders Should Care
In just the first quarter of 2024, almost 1 million unique phishing sites were active. Phishing remains the most common way for hackers to launch account takeover attacks. In fact, 79% of account takeover attacks started with a successful phishing scam.
But here’s what makes this particularly relevant to you: 72% of C-suite executives are being targeted by cyberattacks. Yet 37% of companies provide no additional cybersecurity protection for their executives.
When a breach happens, the impact is significant. The average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2024, and rebuilding customer trust takes even longer.
How Homograph Attacks Work
Understanding the attack helps you defend against it. Here’s how it typically plays out:
Character Similarity
Many characters from different scripts look very similar. The Latin “o” and the Cyrillic “о” are visually identical. Same with the number zero (0) and the uppercase “O”. Attackers use these similarities to create convincing fake letters.
Domain Registration
The attacker registers a domain name using these visually similar characters. They might register g00gle.com instead of google.com, replacing the letter “o” with the number “0.” Or they use characters from Cyrillic, Greek, or other alphabets.
Phishing
The attacker sends emails that appear to come from trusted sources. The phishing email contains a link that looks legitimate but leads to their malicious site. The fake website is designed to look identical to the real one, complete with the same layout, logos, and content.
Punycode
Domain names with non-ASCII characters are encoded using Punycode. This encoding method allows international domain names to work in the Domain Name System. A domain like “exαmple.com” (where “α” is a Cyrillic “a”) might be encoded as “xn--exmple-9cf.com”. Attackers exploit this system to create deceptive domains.
Data Theft
Once on the fake site, victims enter sensitive information like login credentials, credit card details, or personal data. The attacker captures this information and uses it for fraudulent activities or further attacks.
Why Traditional Security Falls Short
Your organization probably has email filters, antivirus software, and employee training. That’s good. But homograph attacks are different.
Most email filters scan for suspicious words or known malicious domains. They’ll catch basic spoofing attempts like emails claiming to be from Chase Bank but coming from chase-security.net.
Homograph attacks are more sophisticated. The fake domain passes most automated checks because it is technically a registered, legitimate domain. The problem is it isn’t yours. The characters display identically in emails and browsers.
Your organization’s applications are particularly vulnerable to displaying these fake domains as real ones. And here’s the challenge: your team can’t spot these attacks by being more careful. The human eye simply cannot distinguish between certain characters from different alphabets.
It’s not a training issue. It’s a technical limitation.
The Connection to Business Email Compromise
Homograph attacks don’t happen in isolation. They’re part of a larger strategy known as Business Email Compromise (BEC).
Attackers register domains that look like yours. They study your organization to understand who reports to whom and how your approval processes work. Then they strike when you’re busy or dealing with urgent situations.
BEC attacks surged by 1,760% from 2022. The reason? Attackers are now using AI tools to craft better emails, time their attacks more strategically, and make requests seem more legitimate.
How Organizations Can Protect Themselves
Protection against homograph attacks requires multiple layers of defense.
Regularly Update Your Software
Newer versions of browsers and applications come with security patches and built-in detection tools.
Modern browsers now have some protections against homograph attacks, such as warning users about suspicious domains.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA adds a layer of security that makes it harder for attackers to gain access even if they steal credentials.
Users need to provide two or more authentication factors when logging in.
This could include security questions, physical keys, biometrics, or action-based confirmations like responding to a push notification.
Domain Monitoring
Use domain monitoring services to detect and block suspicious domain registrations that closely resemble your organization’s domain.
These services can alert you when someone registers a lookalike domain, giving you time to respond before an attack occurs.
Advanced Email Filtering
Deploy advanced email filtering solutions that analyze sender behavior, not just sender addresses.
Implement Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) to enhance email security.
Security Awareness Training
Your team needs to understand these threats and know how to respond.
Regular training sessions help employees identify phishing messages and recognize suspicious URLs.
Run phishing simulations to test and improve their ability to spot attacks.
Common signs to watch for include:
- URLs that start with “xn–”, which indicates the use of Punycode
- A sense of urgency that pressures quick action
- Abnormal requests that don’t follow usual workflows
- Inconsistent details in sender information
URL Verification Practices
Train users to verify URLs by looking for HTTPS and checking the domain name carefully.
Encourage them to type URLs directly into the browser rather than clicking links in emails.
Bookmarking frequently visited sites ensures they always have the correct domain.
Endpoint Security Solutions
Implement endpoint security solutions that detect and block malicious websites.
These tools can identify homograph domains and prevent users from accessing them.
Where MSPs Can Help
Your organization has options for managing these security challenges.
You could build an in-house security team to handle advanced threats like homograph attacks. This means hiring specialists, investing in multiple security tools, configuring them properly, and maintaining 24/7 monitoring. For most organizations, this is expensive and time-consuming.
Or you could partner with a Managed Security Provider.
Here’s what the data shows: businesses using managed services experienced a 60% reduction in successful phishing attacks.
At FourD CEI, we believe cybersecurity goes beyond just implementing tools. It’s about creating a strategy that includes visibility into threats, readiness to respond, and ongoing education for your team.
