Phishing uses deceptive messages to steal credentials or deliver malware, while user verification, MFA, and email filtering reduce the risk.
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Background for this topic.
Phishing is deceptive communication—by email, text, phone, or a fake website—that impersonates a trusted person or service to make someone disclose credentials, approve a transaction, reveal sensitive information, or run harmful software. Attackers use it to bypass technical controls by persuading a legitimate user to perform an action, and may target employees, customers, administrators, or suppliers.
Its impact can include account takeover, unauthorized payments, exposure of personal or business data, and access to internal systems. The most effective control for stolen-password phishing is phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication, such as hardware-backed passkeys or security keys, which binds authentication to the legitimate site. Organizations should also filter and authenticate messaging where possible, use password managers, restrict risky actions, train users to verify unusual requests through a separate channel, and provide rapid reporting so suspected credentials or sessions can be revoked.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommended users turn on phishing-resistant MFA and switch to Signal-like apps for messaging
SlashNext reports a 202% increase in overall phishing messages and a 703% surge in credential-based phishing attacks in 2024
Sophisticated phishing attack targeting Turkey’s defense sector revealed TA397’s advanced tactics
Over 200,000 YouTube creators have been targeted by malware-laden phishing emails with the aim of infecting their followers