What Is Phishing? Common Attacks Explained
Phishing remains one of the biggest cyber threats in circulation today. Billions of emails are sent every single day and together they claim thousands of victims, whether businesses or private individuals. Yet if the phishing attack is so well known, why do most people still fall for the trick?
CSO Online reports that 80% of all security incidents are attributed to phishing[1]. Human error continues to play the leading role in this kind of breach, which is why learning to recognize the danger is essential for reducing risk.
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is an identity-impersonation cyber-attack that allows criminals to capture confidential information from their victims. Most successful campaigns deceive users into opening malicious links or attachments by pretending to come from a trusted source. Attackers usually go after login credentials and payment card details.
Although most users have heard of the scam, defending against it is hard because new types of phishing appear constantly. As technology evolves, so do the methods and techniques designed to fool users who, more often than not, are caught out simply through lack of awareness.
The Six Most Common Types of Phishing and How to Spot Them
Recognizing the different kinds of phishing scams can dramatically reduce the risk of becoming a victim. There is now a large, and ever more sophisticated, range of examples in circulation. Want to know the most frequent cases? Here they are.
1. Email Spoofing
Email phishing tops this list as one of the oldest and most widespread forms of attack. Criminals masquerade as trusted entities and send bulk emails to as many addresses as they can harvest.
Specialized hackers copy the exact branding of a legitimate organization and include a malicious link, document, or image file with the intention of persuading the recipient to confirm personal information or, in some campaigns, trigger an automatic download. These messages are delivered with high urgency, demanding immediate responses and sensitive data.
2. Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is a form of phishing that targets specific individuals or organizations. Attackers use legitimate information about their target to convince the recipient to have a real connection. The objective is the same as in classic email phishing: through fake messages, lure the victim into clicking a fraudulent URL and handing over personal data. Both bulk email phishing and spear phishing can be mitigated by providing security training to employees, discouraging users from posting confidential details on social media, and encouraging everyone to scrutinize greetings, grammatical and spelling errors, and suspicious URLs.
3. Whale Attacks (Whaling)
Whaling is the practice of going after senior executives. This type of cyber-attack relies on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), conducting thorough research into a company’s business practices and social media presence. Digital attackers “harpoon” a key executive. How does it work in practice? The hackers place a carefully crafted phone call through a trusted agency to win the victim’s confidence and then send believable e-mails appearing to come from reliable partners of the organization. Once the executive’s account has been compromised, the attackers can exfiltrate confidential information, order bank transfers, and leak employees’ tax data on the dark web. Corporate vulnerability can be severely amplified.
4. Vishing
Beyond e-mail, cyber-criminals use other channels to execute their attacks. Vishing is a phone-based form of phishing. The scammer exploits VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) servers, a sophisticated technology that lets criminals spoof caller IDs so that the call seems to originate from a legitimate source. During the conversation, the victim is told that urgent action is required and that the investigation cannot proceed without their personal information. These data are usually payment card numbers and other credentials that can be used to steal funds or harvest identities.
5. Smishing
SMS phishing, or “smishing”, is similar to vishing but uses text messages containing links or attachments. The “hook” is to disguise these messages as special offers, discounts, or prizes. Because personal phone numbers tend to be less publicly accessible, people are more inclined to trust text messages. However, with today’s smartphones, it is just as easy for hackers to steal personal data via the URLs embedded in SMS.
6. Social Media Phishing
Social networks are no exception. Social media phishing consists of impersonating well-known brands and prompting victims to share personal and confidential information on their profiles, tracking their preferences and choices, and ultimately inviting them to click malicious links. With so much personal data exposed, attackers can readily combine social-engineering attacks to gain access to sensitive information.
Tips for Identifying and Preventing Phishing Attacks
As the channels and methods for phishing multiply almost daily, companies must adopt measures that allow them to identify and prevent incidents. Partnering with seasoned, professional cybersecurity experts will be a cornerstone on your path to a safer organization. In the meantime, the following practical advice can help:
1. Distrust by Default
The first and most fundamental rule is to be suspicious. Distrust and constant alertness are two key points for prevention and detection. Each of us knows who we regularly engage with for work better than anyone, so if in doubt, verify what is happening.
2. Verify Before You Click
At the first sign of suspicion, and before replying or clicking any link, the correct approach is to confirm that the message is legitimate. Try to reach the supposed sender through another channel and check that they sent the communication. If that is not possible, contact your IT department or a supervisor who can help carry out the necessary checks.
3. Harden Your Company’s Security Posture
Organizations should implement advanced cyber-security technology to block phishing attempts. E-mail gateway with anti-phishing and anti-spam controls can make all the difference. It is also important to employ strong authentication and verification methods, antivirus software, and firewalls, to keep every device updated, and to use advanced solutions with integrated artificial intelligence.
4. Training and Education
As mentioned, the majority of cyber-attacks succeed because of human error. The only way to close that gap is by offering thorough cyber-security training to employees. Companies must also regulate the use of personal devices, provide secure remote-working connections, and communicate clear procedures for responding to a suspected phishing attack.
Don’t Let Them “Phish” You
In January 2025, nearly half of all phishing emails (48%) contained malicious attachments[2]. The number is almost unimaginable. Knowing how to spot these threats is the first step toward avoiding fraud. Training your workforce is the second. Having a trusted cyber-security partner who gives you peace of mind that your data and information are protected, whether that is the third step or simply an ever-present necessity, is certainly on the podium of priorities.