Attack Technique
Phishing
Phishing is a prevalent social engineering attack where adversaries deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information or installing malware, often serving as an initial access point into enterprise networks.
Definition
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a cyberattack method in which attackers impersonate legitimate entities through emails, messages, or websites to trick recipients into revealing credentials, financial details, or other sensitive data. These deceptive communications often mimic trusted sources to exploit human error and bypass technical defenses.
How it works
How Phishing Works
Attackers employ a range of techniques in phishing campaigns:
- Deceptive emails: Crafting emails that appear to originate from reputable organizations, urging recipients to click on malicious links or open infected attachments.
- Spoofed websites: Creating counterfeit websites that replicate legitimate login pages to capture credentials when users enter their information.
- SMS and Social Media phishing: Leveraging text messages or social media platforms to spread fraudulent links or requests.
- Spear phishing: Targeting specific individuals or organizations with tailored messages that reference personal or corporate details to increase credibility.
These methods are designed to exploit trust, prompting users to take actions that compromise security.
Why attackers use it
Why Attackers Leverage Phishing
Phishing is a favored technique among cyber adversaries for several reasons:
- High return on investment: Phishing campaigns can be executed at scale with minimal costs, making them a highly efficient way to harvest credentials or deliver malware.
- Ease of penetration: Even a small percentage of successful phishing attempts can yield valuable access to sensitive systems or data.
- Bypassing technical defenses: Since phishing primarily exploits human error, it often circumvents traditional security measures that focus on technical vulnerabilities.
- Versatility: Phishing can be adapted to target various platforms and organizations, making it a universal threat across industries.
Platform Detections
How to Prevent and Detect Phishing Attacks
Mitigating phishing risks requires a multi-faceted approach that combines technology, policy, and education:
- Advanced email security: Deploy robust filtering and anti-phishing solutions to intercept suspicious emails before they reach users.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforce MFA to add an additional layer of security, even if credentials are compromised.
- User awareness training: Regularly educate employees on the signs of phishing attacks, including scrutinizing unexpected emails and verifying requests through alternate channels.
- Automated threat detection: Utilize AI-driven security platforms to monitor network traffic and user behavior, identifying anomalous patterns that indicate phishing activity.
- Incident Response Plans: Develop and maintain an effective response strategy to quickly isolate and mitigate the impact of phishing incidents.
The Vectra AI Platform leverages advanced AI-driven threat detection to continuously analyze network behavior and identify phishing indicators in real time. By correlating email anomalies, unusual login patterns, and other threat signals, the platform empowers security teams to detect and neutralize phishing attempts before they can compromise critical assets.
