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What is Phishing?
Phishing is a cybercrime where attackers impersonate legitimate organizations through email, text messages, or fake websites to steal sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data. These attacks exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities.
Common Types of Phishing Attacks
1. Email Phishing
The most common form where attackers send mass emails pretending to be from trusted companies. These emails often create urgency, claiming your account will be closed or that suspicious activity was detected.
2. Spear Phishing
Targeted attacks aimed at specific individuals or organizations. Attackers research their victims and craft personalized messages that appear highly credible.
3. Whaling
A form of spear phishing targeting high-profile executives or important individuals within an organization. These attacks often involve fake legal subpoenas, customer complaints, or executive requests.
4. Smishing (SMS Phishing)
Phishing attacks conducted through SMS text messages. Common examples include fake package delivery notifications or bank alerts.
5. Vishing (Voice Phishing)
Phone-based phishing where attackers call victims pretending to be from banks, government agencies, or tech support.
How to Identify Phishing Attempts
- Check the sender's email address: Look for misspellings or unusual domains (e.g., "arnazon.com" instead of "amazon.com")
- Generic greetings: Legitimate companies usually address you by name, not "Dear Customer"
- Urgent or threatening language: Messages claiming immediate action required or account suspension
- Suspicious attachments: Unexpected attachments, especially .exe, .zip, or .scr files
- Poor grammar and spelling: Professional organizations rarely send emails with obvious errors
- Mismatched URLs: Hover over links to see if they lead to legitimate domains
- Requests for sensitive information: Legitimate companies never ask for passwords or credit card details via email
Protection Strategies
Technical Protections
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts
- Use unique, strong passwords for each account (use our password generator)
- Keep software and operating systems updated
- Install reputable antivirus software with anti-phishing features
- Use spam filters and email authentication protocols
Behavioral Protections
- Think before you click - verify sender identity
- Never provide sensitive information via email or unsecured forms
- Verify requests through separate communication channels
- Report phishing attempts to your IT department or relevant authorities
- Regularly monitor your accounts for suspicious activity
What to Do If You've Been Phished
- Change passwords immediately on affected accounts and any accounts using the same password
- Contact your bank if financial information was compromised
- Enable 2FA on all accounts if not already active
- Monitor your credit reports for unusual activity
- Report the incident to:
- Your organization's IT security team
- The Anti-Phishing Working Group (reportphishing@apwg.org)
- The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- Run antivirus scans on all devices
- Document everything for potential insurance or legal purposes
Latest Phishing Trends (2025)
Attackers are now using artificial intelligence to create more convincing phishing emails and deepfake technology for vishing attacks. QR code phishing ("quishing") has also emerged, where malicious QR codes redirect to phishing sites. Stay vigilant and always verify before trusting.