Phishing

Phishing is a deceptive email tactic where attackers impersonate trusted senders to steal information or money.

Definition & Examples

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a form of cybercrime where attackers send deceptive communications that appear to come from a reputable source, such as a bank, online service, or colleague. These messages typically include urgent requests to click a link, download an attachment, or provide login credentials or financial details.

Unlike legitimate marketing emails, phishing attempts are designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information or installing malware on their devices.

Why it matters for email marketers

• Brand reputation: Phishers often impersonate legitimate businesses, damaging trust in your brand

• Deliverability impact: High-volume phishing attacks can hurt the reputation of similar-looking legitimate emails

• Customer trust: Recipients become more suspicious of all emails, reducing engagement with legitimate communications

• Legal liability: Inadequate email security measures can expose businesses to regulatory penalties and lawsuits

Common types of phishing attacks

Email phishing (traditional)

• Mass emails targeting large numbers of recipients

• Generic messages claiming to be from popular services

• Links to fake websites that steal login credentials

• Requests for personal information or account verification

Spear phishing

• Highly targeted attacks against specific individuals or organizations

• Personalized messages using information gathered from social media or public sources

• Often impersonate colleagues, vendors, or business partners

• Higher success rate due to personalized approach

Whaling

• Specialized attacks targeting high-value individuals like CEOs or executives

• Sophisticated messages that appear to come from trusted business contacts

• Often focus on financial transactions or sensitive business information

• May involve phone calls or other communication channels

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

• Attackers gain access to legitimate business email accounts

• Send fraudulent instructions to employees, customers, or vendors

• Often involve wire transfer requests or invoice changes

• Cause billions in losses annually to businesses worldwide

How phishing attacks work

1. Research phase

• Attackers gather information about targets from social media, company websites, and public records

• Identify key personnel, vendors, and business relationships

• Study communication patterns and company procedures

2. Preparation

• Create fake email addresses and domains that mimic legitimate sources

• Design convincing email templates and fake websites

• Set up infrastructure to capture stolen information

3. Delivery

• Send carefully crafted emails to targeted recipients

• Use social engineering tactics to create urgency or fear

• Include malicious links, attachments, or requests for information

4. Exploitation

• Harvest credentials, personal information, or financial data

• Install malware on victim devices

• Use stolen information for financial gain or further attacks

Red flags of phishing emails

Sender indicators

• Email addresses that don't match the claimed organization

• Misspelled domain names (e.g., "gooogle.com" instead of "google.com")

• Generic email addresses from free providers for business communications

• Unexpected emails from familiar organizations

Content warning signs

• Generic greetings like "Dear Customer" instead of your actual name

• Urgent language creating false deadlines or threats

• Poor grammar, spelling mistakes, or awkward phrasing

• Requests for sensitive information via email

• Mismatched URLs when hovering over links

Technical indicators

• Suspicious attachments, especially executable files (.exe, .zip, .scr)

• Links that redirect to unfamiliar domains

• Images instead of text to avoid spam filters

• Emails marked as coming from external sources

How legitimate senders can protect against impersonation

Email authentication

• Implement SPF records to specify authorized sending servers

• Set up DKIM signatures to verify message authenticity

• Configure DMARC policies to prevent domain spoofing

• Monitor DMARC reports to identify impersonation attempts

Domain security

• Register common misspellings of your domain to prevent typosquatting

• Use HTTPS for all web properties linked in emails

• Implement domain-based message authentication policies

• Monitor for fraudulent use of your brand name and domains

Email design best practices

• Include consistent branding elements in all communications

• Use recognizable sender names and email addresses

• Provide clear contact information and physical addresses

• Include unsubscribe links and preference centers

Customer education

• Train customers to recognize legitimate communications from your organization

• Provide security tips and phishing awareness information

• Create a dedicated page showing examples of legitimate vs. fraudulent emails

• Encourage customers to report suspicious emails claiming to be from your company

Impact on email deliverability

Reputation damage

• Phishing attacks using similar domain names can hurt your sender reputation

• Increased spam complaints as users become more cautious

• Email providers may apply stricter filtering to similar-looking messages

Authentication importance

• Proper email authentication becomes crucial for proving legitimacy

• Unauthenticated emails face increased scrutiny from spam filters

• DMARC policies help differentiate legitimate emails from impersonators

What to do if your brand is impersonated

Immediate response

1. Document the attack: Save copies of phishing emails and any associated websites

2. Report to authorities: Contact the FBI's IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) or local law enforcement

3. Notify email providers: Report phishing domains and email addresses to major providers

4. Alert customers: Send legitimate communications warning about the impersonation attempt

Long-term protection

• Strengthen email authentication protocols

• Monitor for new domains that could be used for impersonation

• Implement brand monitoring services

• Consider trademark protection for commonly spoofed variations

Protecting yourself from phishing

For individuals

• Verify sender identity: Contact the organization directly through official channels

• Check URLs carefully: Hover over links to see actual destinations before clicking

• Enable two-factor authentication: Add extra security layers to important accounts

• Keep software updated: Install security patches promptly

• Use spam filters: Enable advanced threat protection features

For businesses

• Employee training: Regular security awareness programs and phishing simulations

• Email security: Advanced threat protection and sandboxing for attachments

• Incident response: Clear procedures for reporting and responding to phishing attempts

• Network security: Firewalls, intrusion detection, and endpoint protection

• Regular audits: Periodic security assessments and penetration testing

Legal and regulatory considerations

Compliance requirements

• GDPR: European regulations require notification of data breaches within 72 hours

• CCPA: California law mandates disclosure of personal information breaches

• SOX: Sarbanes-Oxley requires public companies to maintain financial data security

• HIPAA: Healthcare organizations must protect patient information from phishing attacks

Industry standards

• PCI DSS: Payment card industry security standards for protecting cardholder data

• ISO 27001: International standard for information security management

• NIST Framework: Comprehensive cybersecurity framework for risk management

Phishing prevention technologies

Email security solutions

• Advanced threat protection: AI-powered detection of suspicious emails

• Sandboxing: Isolated testing of attachments and links

• URL rewriting: Safe browsing through protected proxy servers

• Impersonation protection: Detection of domain spoofing and display name deception

User awareness tools

• Phishing simulations: Regular testing of employee susceptibility

• Security training: Interactive education programs

• Reporting mechanisms: Easy ways for users to report suspicious emails

• Real-time warnings: Browser extensions that identify risky websites

Industry statistics and trends

Current threat landscape

• Phishing attacks increased by 220% during the COVID-19 pandemic

• 96% of phishing attacks arrive via email

• Average cost of a successful phishing attack is $4.65 million

• Finance and healthcare are the most targeted industries

Emerging trends

• Mobile phishing: Increasing attacks via SMS and messaging apps

• Social media phishing: Fraudulent posts and direct messages

• Voice phishing (vishing): Phone-based attacks combined with email campaigns

• AI-powered attacks: More sophisticated and personalized phishing attempts

Related terms

• Email deliverability

• DMARC

• SPF

• DKIM

• Sender reputation

Key takeaways

• Phishing attacks pose serious risks to both businesses and individuals through email impersonation

• Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for preventing domain spoofing

• Legitimate email marketers must protect their brands from impersonation attempts

• User education and technical solutions work together to reduce phishing success rates

• Regular monitoring and incident response procedures help minimize the impact of attacks