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What is Phishing?

Understanding this Pervasive and Evolving Cyber Threat

Phishing is one of the most prominent forms of social engineering cybercrime, exploiting human trust and vulnerability. Deceptive tactics are employed by threat actors to manipulate individuals into actions that compromise their security and that of their organisations.
 
These malicious attempts aim to extract sensitive information, from personal credentials like passwords and financial details to valuable proprietary data, and can even extend to granting unauthorised remote control over devices, leading to significant financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruption. Understanding the multifaceted nature of phishing is the first crucial step in building a robust defence against this persistent threat.
 
Threat Actor

Prepare your Organisation with Echo Secure AI

Echo Secure AI’s proprietary, purpose-built platform delivers phishing simulation campaigns to highlight vulnerabilities before the real threat actors do, facilitating the strengthening of defences against phishing attacks.


How Phishing Works

Phishing attacks are a form of deception, a threat actor impersonating a trustworthy source. They can range from broad, mass campaigns targeting indiscriminately to highly focused attacks against specific organisations or employees (spear phishing). The attacker deploys a lure to manipulate the target into compromising their security - clicking a link, downloading an attachment, divulging confidential information, etc. Once the attacker has the desired information or control, they can use it for malicious purposes. 
 
We replicate phishing methodology in our Adversarial Phishing Simulation (APS) Kill-Chain.
 
 
 

Multiple Attack Vectors

More Than Just an Inbox-Based Threat

Email

Deception through email communications. The traditional and still most prominent method, these vary in complexity. The more sophisticated versions impersonate a trusted source, using realistic branding and relevant language and tone. Email phishing may include malicious attachments and links or urge action from the recipient.

Vishing

Vishing attacks are manipulation through voice calls. Threat actors impersonate legitimate entities like Managed Serviced Providers (MSPs), internal departments, suppliers, customers, etc. Attackers are increasingly leveraging AI to make these calls more convincing and difficult to detect. These calls typically request information from the target or persuade them to take specific actions.

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Smishing

Smishing is a type of cyberattack using SMS messages. These trick targets, often leveraging a sense of urgency or authority and may contain malevolent links or requests for sensitive information. More advanced versions spoof numbers to ones the target will recognise, creating a convincing deception.

Quishing

Instead of relying on clicking links or downloading attachments like in traditional phishing, Quishing cyberattacks uses malicious QR codes. These may use authentic branding to impersonate a reputable organisation, but when scanned they can lead targets to phishing websites or trigger malware downloads. 


Different Lures

Exploiting Human Behaviour

Financial

Phishing attacks can exploit organisations' financial operations by replicating payment requests, fraudulent invoices, investment opportunities, or tax-related scams.

Technical

By posing as IT support or a Managed-Service Provider, threat actors can prey on organisations' digital operations. Targets may be sent fraudulent communications with software updates, warnings about compromised accounts, or notification of critical system errors to gain control of a target's device.

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Social

Phishing attacks can build rapport, create a sense of obligation or exploit existing co-worker relations through impersonating colleagues, managers, or HR.


Consequences of Phishing Attacks

Consequences of Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks pose a threat to organisations of all sizes, across all industries. The consequences can be severe:

  • Substantial financial losses due to fraudulent transactions

  • Significant operational disruption 

  • Reputational damage, undermining trust and threatening long-term stability 

  • Data breaches compromising critical organisational data, including customer information, financial records and intellectual property

How can Echo Secure AI Help?

Echo Secure AI delivers Adversarial Phishing Simulations (APS) to strengthen organisations' defences against phishing attacks. Our campaigns utilise a threat intelligence-led AI model to recreate the sophisticated attacks that do the most harm, empowering your employees to be a vital line of defence against cyber attacks.