Phishing is one of the most common cyber security threats today, and almost 85% of organizations have faced at least one successful phishing attack. Phishing emails look innocent and disguise themselves as legitimate messages. On average, it only takes 60 seconds to fall victim.
Common types of phishing
Phishing comes in many forms, each designed to deceive you differently. While traditional phishing attacks cast a wide net, cybercriminals have developed more targeted techniques to increase success rates. Below are some of the most common phishing attacks you should know.
Whaling — A highly targeted phishing attack aimed at senior executives or high-profile individuals within an organization. Attackers impersonate trusted sources, often using urgent requests or legal pretexts to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information or transferring funds.
Vishing — Short for “voice phishing,” this type of attack occurs over the phone. Scammers pose as legitimate entities — such as banks, tech support or government agencies — to persuade their targets to reveal confidential information.
SMiShing — A phishing attack that uses SMS (text messages) to trick victims into clicking malicious links, sharing personal information, or downloading malware. Attackers often disguise themselves as banks, delivery services or government agencies
Spearphishing — A phishing attack that targets a specific individual, organization or business. Unlike generic phishing, spearphishing emails are customized using personal details — often obtained from social engineering or previous breaches — to appear more convincing.
Clone phishing — A phishing attack where a legitimate email is copied and altered to contain malicious links or attachments. The attacker spoofs the sender’s address and resends the email to trick recipients into interacting with the fraudulent content.
Understanding and familiarizing yourself with the many ways one can be phished helps you recognize the red flags and avoid falling victim. Attackers rely on deception. Your best defense is staying alert, researching and always thinking before you click!
Business Email Compromise
73% of organizations reported a BEC attack, but only 29% teach users about BEC attacks
Business Email Compromise, or BEC, is a highly sophisticated attack in which an attacker impersonates a trusted individual, such as an executive or a well-known vendor, to trick someone into authorizing fraudulent transactions or providing sensitive information.
Unlike other types of traditional phishing, BEC attacks do not rely on malicious links or attachments for a user to click. Instead, the attacker uses social engineering techniques such as email spoofing (creating an email with a forged sender address) to manipulate their victims.
Pretexting is another method used in BEC. In pretexting, attackers use a convincing backstory to get their fraudulent request through. For example, someone might claim they are the CFO and say they need an immediate wire transfer for a business crisis. These false claims increase urgency and panic, making it more likely that the employee won’t take the time to verify the request. BEC is one of the most financially damaging cyberthreats, with billions lost globally each year. Understanding how pretexting is used to manipulate trust is essential in recognizing and preventing BEC attacks.
