Simulating Phishing and Security Step (2FA) and Detecting Fake URLs Using Plugin and Browser Extension Detection

K. Dhivya, S. Anisha, V. Dheepa Muthu Jothi, S. Kavishree, R. Madhangi, M.G. Meena Abinaya

doi:https://doi.org/10.59232/CYS-V2I4P103

Research Article | Open Access | Download Full Text

Volume 2 | Issue 4 | Year 2024 | Article Id: CYS-V2I4P103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/CYS-V2I4P103

Simulating Phishing and Security Step (2FA) and Detecting Fake URLs Using Plugin and Browser Extension Detection

K. Dhivya, S. Anisha, V. Dheepa Muthu Jothi, S. Kavishree, R. Madhangi, M.G. Meena Abinaya

Received	Revised	Accepted	Published
04 Oct 2024	10 Nov 2024	28 Nov 2024	21 Dec 2024

Citation

K. Dhivya, S. Anisha, V. Dheepa Muthu Jothi, S. Kavishree, R. Madhangi, M.G. Meena Abinaya. “Simulating Phishing and Security Step (2FA) and Detecting Fake URLs Using Plugin and Browser Extension Detection.” DS Journal of Cyber Security, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 19-28, 2024.

Abstract

Phishing attacks remain a universal and evolving threat, targeting both individuals and organizations by misusing trust and social engineering to gain access to confidential information such as usernames, passwords, and financial data. With the increasing cleverness of these attacks, traditional security measures are often insufficient to moderate the risks fully. This paper investigates the deployment of browser-based tools—specifically, plugins and extensions—for the real-time detection of phishing URLs, combined with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) as an additional security layer. By simulating real-world phishing situations, Explore how browser extensions can enhance security by detecting and alerting users of suspicious URLs before they have interacted. Integrating 2FA adds another layer of protection, ensuring that even if credentials are compromised, unauthorized access is further delayed. The proposed system architecture focuses on combining URL pattern recognition, blacklist verification, and investigative analysis within browser extensions to provide immediate feedback to users about possibly malicious links. These measures are improved by 2FA, which requires a secondary verification step, drastically reducing the success rate of phishing attempts. Experimental results demonstrate a significant reduction in phishing success rates, highlighting the effectiveness of this multi-layered approach. Statistical analysis reveals a marked decrease in successful phishing incidents when both browser-based detection and 2FA are employed together. This study underscores the necessity of adopting proactive, layered security frameworks to address the growing phishing threat. The findings suggest that future enhancements could involve incorporating machine learning algorithms into the detection mechanisms to improve accuracy further and adapt to the rapidly changing strategies used by phishing attackers.

Keywords

Phishing attacks, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Phishing prevention, Phishing detection, User protection, Malicious links.

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