As our society has become more technology-focused, phishing attacks have become more frequent. Whether hacking into people’s emails or stealing personal information, these attacks are increasing yearly with almost every person or company receiving a suspicious email at one point or another. As phishing has become more common, there has been a notable trend with the types of phishing attacks hackers frequently use. Below is a list of phishing attack trends for you to be aware of to protect yourself in the future.
1. Email Phishing
Email phishing is one of the most common phishing attack trends, as hackers can easily create new email addresses and send automated emails to anyone. These emails may include suspicious attachments or request payment information for credit card numbers and bank account information. The hacker’s goal is to get you to reveal personal information in an attempt to steal your identity and your money. As scary as it seems, these emails can look legitimate.
2. Spear Phishing
Spear phishing goes after a specific person, company department, or individual in an organization. The hacker specifically targets a person or group by performing detailed research to construct a personalized message that seems like it’s coming from a legitimate and trustworthy source. The hacker’s goal is to steal personal information or company login credentials, get the user or department to send over money, and infect the users device with malware.
3. Whaling
As innocent as the word whaling may seem, it’s actually an extremely dangerous type of phishing attack. Whaling, also known as CEO Fraud, is a more targeted attack towards senior and C-level executives. Senior management has access to high-privilege account permissions on the network that may expose confidential and financial information, including the company’s employee payroll. Whaling uses the same tactic as spear phishing, but the hacker impersonates a Chief Executive or other high-ranking executive of the company to gain more information on sensitive data and access to company bank accounts, which could result in a loss of a serious amount of money.
4. Invoice Phishing
Invoice phishing is an email scam where hackers send bills for services or goods that you might have never ordered or received. This scam is often overlooked as people don’t double-check their invoices. The invoice generally comes as a PDF attachment usually for an amount under $1,000 to not raise suspicion.
The attachment contains a unique ID and phone number so that if there’s a problem the victim could call in with a question or cancel a payment. If they call the number, they are connected to a call center that is a part of the scam and the operator on the call can then identify the company by asking for the ID number. The operator then takes the victim through steps to download and run remote access software on their computer to cancel the payment.
Once the victim downloads the software, the attacker then has access to download and install a remote administration tool, which allows them access to sensitive files. After the attacker successfully steals the data, he or she sends another email demanding an extortion payment with a threat to release the sensitive information if the payment is not made. The amount of money may be hundreds of thousands of dollars that you may not be able to pay, leading to a company data breach.
5. Smishing
Smishing (SMS phishing) is a type of phishing attack that is over text messages. Most text messages come with a harmful link that the attacker tries to trick the recipient to click. The text message usually tries to claim that the recipient won a prize and in order to claim the prize they need to click the link. The website link may impersonate a legitimate website, but in reality the website is trying to steal your credentials and make you download a malicious app. It’s important to remember that reputable companies will never directly contact you over text message to gain access to sensitive information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common type of phishing attack?
Email phishing is the most common phishing attack because attackers can easily send large volumes of fake emails that appear legitimate. These emails often attempt to steal login credentials, financial information, or sensitive business data.
What is spear phishing?
Spear phishing is a highly targeted phishing attack aimed at a specific individual, department, or organization. Attackers research their targets to create personalized messages that appear trustworthy and increase the likelihood of compromise.
Why is whaling considered dangerous for businesses?
Whaling targets executives and senior leadership with access to sensitive financial, operational, and payroll information. These attacks can lead to large financial losses, credential theft, and exposure of confidential company data.
How does invoice phishing work?
Invoice phishing uses fake invoices or payment requests to trick employees into downloading malware, installing remote access tools, or transferring funds. These attacks often impersonate legitimate vendors or service providers.
What is smishing in cybersecurity?
Smishing is phishing conducted through SMS text messages. Attackers use fake prize notifications, delivery alerts, or urgent account warnings to trick users into clicking malicious links or sharing sensitive information.
Cybersecurity Threat Defense Expertise from Matt Rosenthal
Matt Rosenthal, CEO of Mindcore Technologies, has extensive experience helping organizations defend against evolving phishing attacks, social engineering threats, and credential-based cybercrime. His expertise in email security, identity governance, threat detection, employee security awareness, incident response, and managed cybersecurity services helps businesses reduce exposure to sophisticated attack campaigns. His leadership focuses on building proactive cybersecurity strategies that strengthen organizational resilience, improve user awareness, reduce operational risk, and protect businesses from modern phishing and fraud tactics.
