Phishing Attacks: How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond

Phishing is the most common cyberattack method and the starting point for the majority of data breaches. Attackers send deceptive messages designed to trick recipients into revealing credentials, installing malware, or transferring money.

This guide covers how phishing works, how to identify it, and how to build organizational defenses that reduce your risk.

How Phishing Works

A phishing attack typically follows this pattern:

1. Reconnaissance — The attacker researches the target organization and its employees
2. Crafting — A convincing message is created that mimics a trusted source
3. Delivery — The message is sent via email, SMS, voice call, or social media
4. Exploitation — The victim clicks a link, opens an attachment, or provides information
5. Action — The attacker uses the access to steal data, deploy malware, or move laterally

The effectiveness of phishing relies on human psychology: urgency, authority, fear, and curiosity.

Types of Phishing Attacks

Email Phishing

The most common form. Attackers send mass emails impersonating banks, software providers, or internal departments. These emails typically contain:

• Links to fake login pages that capture credentials
• Malicious attachments disguised as invoices, reports, or shipping notifications
• Requests to update account information or verify identity

Spear Phishing

Targeted attacks aimed at specific individuals. The attacker customizes the message using information gathered from social media, company websites, and data breaches.

Spear phishing is harder to detect because the message is personalized and contextually relevant to the target.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

The attacker impersonates a company executive or trusted vendor to authorize a fraudulent wire transfer, change payment details, or obtain sensitive information.

BEC attacks often do not contain malicious links or attachments. They rely entirely on the authority of the impersonated sender.

Smishing and Vishing

Smishing uses SMS text messages. Fake delivery notifications, bank alerts, and account verification requests are common lures.

Vishing uses voice calls. Attackers impersonate tech support, government agencies, or company IT departments to extract information or remote access.

Clone Phishing

The attacker creates a near-identical copy of a legitimate email the victim previously received, replacing links or attachments with malicious versions. The email appears to be a resend or updated version.

How to Identify Phishing

Train yourself and your team to look for these indicators:

Check the sender address

Look at the actual email address, not just the display name. Phishing emails often use domains that look similar to legitimate ones:

• support@micros0ft.com (zero instead of 'o')
• billing@amazon-support.net (wrong domain)
• it-help@company.com.attacker.com (subdomain trick)

Examine links before clicking

Hover over links to see the actual URL. Verify that it points to the expected domain. URL shorteners in business emails are a red flag.

Look for urgency and pressure

Phishing messages create artificial urgency: "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours," "Immediate action required," "Your payment failed."

Legitimate organizations rarely demand immediate action via email.

Check for generic greetings

Messages starting with "Dear Customer" or "Dear User" instead of your name suggest a mass phishing campaign.

Verify unexpected requests

Any email asking you to change payment details, send money, or provide credentials should be verified through a separate communication channel. Call the sender directly using a known phone number.

Watch for attachment red flags

Be suspicious of unexpected attachments, especially:

• ZIP files
• Documents asking you to enable macros
• Executable files (.exe, .bat, .ps1)
• Files with double extensions (report.pdf.exe)

Technical Controls Against Phishing

Email Authentication

Implement all three email authentication protocols:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework) — Specifies which servers can send email for your domain
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) — Adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing emails
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) — Tells receiving servers how to handle emails that fail SPF/DKIM checks

Email Filtering

Deploy an email security gateway that:

• Scans attachments for malware
• Analyzes links in real-time
• Quarantines suspicious messages for review
• Uses machine learning to detect novel phishing patterns

Web Filtering

Block access to known phishing domains using DNS filtering or web proxy solutions. This stops users from reaching fake login pages even if they click a phishing link.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Even when phishing succeeds in capturing a password, MFA prevents the attacker from accessing the account. Phishing-resistant MFA methods like hardware security keys provide the strongest protection.

Security Awareness Training

Technical controls catch most phishing, but some messages will always get through. Training prepares your team for those messages.

Effective training programs include:

• Monthly or quarterly simulated phishing campaigns
• Brief training modules (5-10 minutes) when users fail simulations
• Real-world phishing examples specific to your industry
• Clear reporting procedures (a dedicated button in the email client)
• Positive reinforcement for reporting, not punishment for clicking

How to Respond When Phishing Succeeds

If someone clicks a phishing link or provides credentials:

1. Do not panic — Quick, calm action limits damage
2. Disconnect the device from the network (Wi-Fi and wired)
3. Change compromised passwords immediately from a different device
4. Report the incident to your IT/security team
5. Scan the device for malware
6. Check for unauthorized access — Email rules, forwarding, account changes
7. Notify affected parties if data may have been exposed
8. Document the incident — Timeline, actions taken, evidence preserved

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of cyberattacks start with phishing?

Phishing is involved in a significant majority of data breaches. It remains the most common initial attack vector.

Can phishing emails bypass spam filters?

Yes. Sophisticated phishing emails can bypass filters, especially spear phishing and BEC attacks that do not contain typical malware indicators.

Should we punish employees who click phishing links?

No. Punishment discourages reporting. Focus on training and creating a culture where employees feel safe reporting incidents quickly.

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