Certain types of malware read the contact relationships and email content from the inboxes and use this information for further distribution. Recipients receive phishing emails that look credible and by providing full name, email address, salutation and signature, the message looks deceptively genuine.
Emotet is such malware and is responsible for millions of euros worth of damage.
The BSI writes: "Emotet spreads itself independently to contacts of users of infected systems with the help of very authentic-looking emails. The recipients' systems are also infected with Emotet as soon as an Office document is opened from the attachment or via a link and the execution of macros is activated. Downloaded software then does the actual damage."
In order to make you aware of attacks of this kind, we use the possibility of sending phishing e-mails in your name.