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.
Sophos has observed cybercriminals ramping up their use of graphics files as part of email phishing attacks to bypass conventional security protections
A new phishing attack by UAC-0006 has been discovered targeting PrivatBank with malicious files in password-protected archives to evade detection
Indian banking malware attack exposes 50,000 users, stealing financial data via SMS interception and phishing
A sophisticated phishing campaign targeting Microsoft ADFS has been observed, affecting more than 150 organizations
Hackers hijack high-profile X accounts with phishing scams to steal credentials and promote fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes