We’ve all seen recent news about Salesforce-targeted phishing attacks, which should come as a wake-up call for every organization.
A group known as ShinyHunters has been connected in the news to these breaches, and apparently used voice phishing (vishing) to trick employees of top enterprises into installing malicious software through a fake Data Loader application.
Once installed, the fake app granted attackers unauthorized access to Salesforce environments, leading to data exfiltration and follow-up calls requesting payment in Bitcoin.
If it can happen to Fortune 50 companies, it can happen to anyone.
Why This Matters for Every Salesforce Customer
Salesforce is designed with enterprise-grade security, and they are in no way to blame for these most recent attacks. It is not a breakdown in their security model or a reported vulnerability in the software. These vishing attacks were all done through social engineering.
This most recent set of incidents highlights two uncomfortable truths:
- Phishing is still incredibly effective: Even the most security-conscious companies are vulnerable if employees are deceived into granting permissions.
- Connected Apps can be a backdoor: A malicious or unverified connected app can open the door to your most sensitive data.
- Zero trust security is no longer optional: Internal users and devices can be just as dangerous as external parties.
If an attacker can gain OAuth access through a trusted app, they can bypass many traditional security controls. And in Salesforce, those permissions can be broad.
How Flosum Helps Protect Your Salesforce Environment
Flosum was built for secure DevOps and governance management in Salesforce, but its architecture also delivers powerful security advantages that directly address the risks seen in these breaches. Flosum is designed to be secure, checking credentials at every step to provide zero-trust security.
1. Deployment Governance That Blocks Malicious Apps
With Flosum’s secure CI/CD pipeline, every deployment is validated before it reaches production. If a connected app is not approved or comes from an unverified source, it never makes it into your environment.
2. Complete Audit Trails for Instant Forensics
Flosum Trust Center tracks every metadata and configuration change (including connected app installations) along with who made the change and when. If suspicious activity occurs, you can pinpoint it instantly.
3. Automated Backups & One-Click Recovery
If malicious activity alters your configuration or metadata, Flosum Backup & Archive allows you to roll back to a known safe state in minutes, minimizing downtime and data exposure. And with automated backups, you can rest assured knowing that a safe state is always within reach without you needing to trigger it.
4. Role-Based Access and Permission Control
Our platform enforces least privilege access, reducing the damage a compromised account can cause. Even if phishing succeeds, attackers are less likely to gain full administrative control. By limiting access to only what’s necessary, we also reduce the risk of well-intentioned mistakes. Users operate solely within their defined scope, where they have full context and expertise.
Proactive Steps You Can Take Today
To protect your Salesforce org from phishing and connected app threats:
- Train employees to recognize vishing and phishing attempts.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users.
- Restrict connected app installations to admins and validate sources.
- Use Flosum for secure deployments, auditing, and rapid rollback.
- Combine Flosum Trust Center with Salesforce Shield and Event Monitoring for layered defense.
The Bottom Line
These Salesforce breaches are not just another headline, it’s a reminder that security is a shared responsibility and zero trust architecture is no longer optional.. Salesforce secures the platform, but protecting your unique configuration, metadata, and processes is up to you.
With Flosum’s secure DevSecOps platform, you gain the visibility, governance, and recovery capabilities to stay one step ahead of attackers, even when the threat comes in the form of a “trusted” app.
Protect your Salesforce environment before it becomes the next headline.
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