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Optiv Cybersecurity Dictionary Breadcrumb Home Cybersecurity Dictionary Phishing What is Phishing? Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information (usernames, passwords and banking details) by pretending to be a trusted source, often through an email communication. A phishing email may look legitimate and official, perhaps even with the correct logos of the supposed source, but will link to a malicious website or include an attachment with some type of malware. Spear phishing is a type of phishing that is even more targeted and personalized in how it’s presented to the victim. The success of spear phishing depends upon three things: the apparent source must appear to be trustworthy; there is information within the message that supports its validity, and the request seems to have a logical basis. To avoid falling victim, organizations must train employees to be suspicious of unexpected requests for confidential information and not to divulge personal data in emails or clicking on links in messages unless they’re 100% sure of the source. Image Phishing: Why It Matters Almost doubling in total incidents from 2019, phishing was cybercrime’s undisputed flavor of the year in 2020.1 In fact, out of the total reported cyber breaches in 2020, phishing was involved in a whopping 43%.2 2021’s data is still rolling in, and there’s every indication that phishing scams aren’t finished spiking in both frequency and sophistication. It’s estimated that 96% of phishing threats are delivered via email, and that’s why careful clicking habits cannot be overemphasized enough for organizations and individuals.2 Once users let their guard down and take a hacker’s bait, they can be reeled into all manner of compounding cyberattacks, including ransomware. 1 https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf2 https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/ Related Services Insider Risk Management Security Operations Cyber Education Five R's of Phishing Phishing Solution Phishing threats succeed due to lack of cybersecurity awareness. Whether at home or work, you can avoid the bait by clicking with care and staying wary of suspicious emails, texts and direct messages on social media. Are you an organization and need a hand training your people? We’ve got a wide variety of eLearning courses and simulated phishing services designed to help you meet compliance requirements, minimize risks posed by your end users and maximize data security. Take a Look Image Related Terms Ransomware Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, designed to deny access to, or "lock," files on a computer system until the victim makes a ransomware payment to the attacker. See Full Definition Fileless Attacks Fileless attacks inject malicious code into RAM memory and exploit approved applications on targeted devices to achieve their objectives and thwart detection. See Full Definition DDoS – Distributed Denial of Service Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is a form of cyberattack in which multiple compromised systems work together to disrupt an online service, server or network by overwhelming the target with malicious traffic. See Full Definition APT – Advanced Persistent Threats APTs are highly sophisticated and prolonged computer hacking processes that often target a specific entity for business or political motives. See Full Definition Insider Threat Insider risk is the potential for an employee, contractor or other party with legitimate access to negatively impact an organization’s people, data or resources. See Full Definition SQLi –SQL Injection SQLi is a type of application exploit called a code injection technique, in which an attacker adds malicious Structured Query Language (SQL) code to a web form input box to get access to resources. See Full Definition Social Engineering Within the cybersecurity context, social engineering describes an attempt to manipulate people into divulging confidential information or performing actions inimical to the interests of them or their organizations. See Full Definition Other Sources: How Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams – Federal Trade Commission What Is Phishing? – phishing.org Security Awareness: Episode 4—Phishing and Ransomware – National Cybersecurity Alliance Share: Contact Us