What is phishing?

Phishing is a cyberattack where scammers use deceptive emails, texts, calls, or websites to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information or downloading malware. It exploits human error and manipulative tactics to bypass technological defenses.

Phishing is a major cyber threat because it targets people, not just technology. It’s the most common cause of data breaches, costing organizations millions. Phishing attacks range from broad campaigns to highly targeted efforts, such as spear phishing and business email compromise (BEC), which can involve impersonating executives to steal funds or data.

Types of phishing attacks include:

  1. Bulk email phishing: Scammers send mass emails appearing to come from reputable sources to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware.
  2. Spear phishing: Targets specific individuals by gathering personal details to craft convincing fraudulent messages.
  3. Business email compromise (BEC): Targets businesses, often by impersonating executives to steal money or data.
  4. Smishing: Uses text messages to deceive victims.
  5. Vishing: Utilizes phone calls for phishing attacks.
  6. Social media phishing: uses social media messaging to trick users into revealing login credentials.

Other notable techniques include:

  1. Advanced-fee scams: Convince victims to pay fees upfront with promises of larger rewards.
  2. Account deactivation scams: Use urgency to trick victims into providing login credentials.
  3. Website forgery scams: Create fake websites that mimic legitimate ones to steal user information.
  4. Clone phishing: Resend modified legitimate emails with malicious links or attachments.
  5. Whaling: Targets high-profile individuals with critical-looking communications to exploit their authority.

Effective defense against phishing includes combining advanced threat detection tools with thorough employee education to recognize and respond to phishing attempts. Cloudflare’s Area 1 Email Security provides advanced phishing protection by identifying and neutralizing phishing campaigns.

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