What Is Phishing?

Updated on February 28, 2025

Definition

Phishing is the top attack method of cybercriminals, and it occurs when they attempt to fraudulently steal sensitive information via email. Over 360 billion emails are sent every day around the world, and 3.4 billion of those emails are phishing emails.

Phishing is an escalating problem for businesses, with 39% experiencing at least one phishing scam every week. The consequences can be severe, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. As phishing techniques become more sophisticated, like using personalized details to make emails seem more genuine (a tactic called spear phishing), individuals and organizations need to stay vigilant and learn to recognize the warning signs.

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Example

A common phishing tactic involves fake links that appear genuine but lead to malicious websites designed to steal login credentials or financial details. For example, you might receive an email claiming your account has been compromised and urging you to click a link to reset your password immediately.

How Phishing Emails Work

Phishing emails rely on deception and manipulation to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information. Cybercriminals often mimic trusted organizations like banks, government agencies, or popular companies using logos, email templates, and even language that looks official.

Social engineering is another tool in a phisher’s arsenal. They play on emotions like urgency or fear to push people into acting quickly. The sense of urgency distracts you from questioning the authenticity of the email. Once you click on the malicious link or enter your information, your data falls into the hands of cybercriminals.

How to Identify and Prevent Phishing

When it comes to spotting a phishing scam, a healthy dose of skepticism when dealing with senders that you do not know is important. One of the easiest ways to spot a phishing attempt is to carefully check the email address of the sender. A fraudulent email may come from an address that looks legitimate at first glance but has subtle misspellings or extra characters, like “support@applle.com” instead of “support@apple.com.”

Hover over any links in the email (without clicking) to see the actual URL. If the link does not match the supposed sender’s website or looks suspicious, do not click it. Legitimate companies rarely ask for sensitive information like passwords or payment details via email, so any message requesting this should raise a red flag. Attachments in unexpected emails should also be treated with caution, as they can contain malware.

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