Key Takeaways

  • Phishing uses social engineering to trick users into revealing credentials.
  • Check sender addresses, URLs, and urgency as red flags.
  • SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authenticate legitimate emails.
  • Multi-factor authentication limits damage from stolen passwords.
  • Regular security awareness training reduces successful attacks.
  • Report suspected phishing immediately to IT/security teams.
Table of Contents

1. Understanding Phishing

Phishing is a social engineering attack that tricks people into revealing sensitive information, clicking malicious links, or downloading malware. Attackers impersonate trusted entities—banks, employers, service providers—to manipulate victims into taking harmful actions.

Phishing accounts for over 90% of successful cyber attacks. Despite being well-known, it remains effective because it exploits human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. Urgency, fear, authority, and curiosity are powerful motivators attackers leverage.

Phishing Statistics

83% of organizations experienced phishing attacks in 2023. The average cost of a phishing attack is $4.9 million. Users who received security awareness training are 70% less likely to fall for phishing.

2. Types of Phishing Attacks

TypeTargetMethod
Email PhishingMass audienceBulk emails impersonating brands
Spear PhishingSpecific individualsPersonalized, researched attacks
WhalingExecutivesTargeting C-suite for BEC
SmishingMobile usersSMS text messages
VishingPhone usersVoice calls impersonating support
Clone PhishingPrevious recipientsCloned legitimate emails with malicious links

2.1 Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC attacks target organizations for financial fraud. Attackers compromise or spoof executive email accounts, then request wire transfers, gift cards, or sensitive data from employees who believe they're following orders from leadership.

2.2 Credential Harvesting

Attackers create fake login pages mimicking legitimate services. When victims enter credentials, they're captured and sent to the attacker while the victim is often redirected to the real site to avoid suspicion.

3. Detecting Phishing

3.1 Email Red Flags

3.2 URL Analysis

# Legitimate URL
https://www.paypal.com/signin

# Phishing URLs
https://www.paypa1.com/signin        # Number substitution
https://paypal.com.evil.com/signin   # Subdomain trick
https://paypal-login.com/signin      # Similar domain
https://192.168.1.1/paypal/signin    # IP address
Hover Before You Click

Always hover over links to see the actual URL. On mobile, long-press to preview. If the link doesn't match the expected domain, don't click. When in doubt, navigate directly to the website by typing the URL in your browser.

4. Email Security

4.1 SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

These email authentication protocols help verify that emails claiming to be from your domain actually are:

# SPF - Sender Policy Framework
# DNS TXT record specifying authorized senders
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all

# DKIM - DomainKeys Identified Mail
# Cryptographic signature on emails
example.com._domainkey IN TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGf..."

# DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication
# Policy for handling authentication failures
_dmarc.example.com IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]"

4.2 Email Security Gateways

5. Technical Defenses

5.1 Multi-Factor Authentication

Even if credentials are phished, MFA prevents account access without the second factor. Use phishing-resistant methods like hardware keys (YubiKey) for high-value accounts.

5.2 URL Filtering

Block access to known phishing domains at the network level using DNS filtering (Cloudflare Gateway, Cisco Umbrella) or web proxies.

5.3 Password Managers

Password managers only auto-fill credentials on legitimate domains. If you're on a phishing site, the password manager won't recognize it, alerting you to the deception.

6. Security Awareness Training

Create a Reporting Culture

Make it easy and safe to report suspected phishing. Never punish employees for reporting—even false positives. Praise and recognize employees who catch real phishing attempts. Quick reporting enables faster response.

7. Incident Response

7.1 If You Clicked a Phishing Link

  1. Disconnect from the network immediately
  2. Report to IT/security team
  3. Change passwords for potentially affected accounts
  4. Enable MFA if not already active
  5. Monitor accounts for suspicious activity
  6. Scan device for malware

7.2 If You Entered Credentials

  1. Change the password immediately (from a known-clean device)
  2. Change passwords on any other accounts using the same password
  3. Review account activity for unauthorized access
  4. Enable additional security measures
  5. Consider identity monitoring if personal information was exposed

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Can phishing emails come from legitimate addresses?
Yes, through email spoofing (if the domain lacks proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC) or if an attacker has compromised a legitimate account. This is why you should verify unusual requests through a separate channel, even if the email appears legitimate.
Does antivirus protect against phishing?
Antivirus helps with malware attachments but doesn't prevent credential theft on fake websites. You need multiple layers: email filtering, URL filtering, security awareness, and MFA to comprehensively protect against phishing.

Conclusion

Phishing protection requires a combination of technical controls and human awareness. Implement email authentication, use security tools, train employees regularly, and create a culture where reporting suspicious emails is encouraged. No defense is perfect, so layer your protections and have an incident response plan ready.

Continue Learning:
Email Authentication Social Engineering