What Is Phishing? How to Recognize and Prevent Attacks in the Workplace
Picture this: you’re working through your inbox when an email from what looks like your bank appears, warning of suspicious activity and asking you to “verify” your account by clicking a link. It looks official, the request seems urgent, and yet, it’s a trap. That’s phishing.
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack in which cybercriminals trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, financial data, or access credentials. It’s one of the most common cybersecurity threats facing organizations today, and it continues to become more sophisticated every year.
Understanding what phishing is, how it works, and how to defend against it is essential for every organization. When employees know what to look for and how to respond, they become the first line of defense against potentially devastating breaches.
Discover how Traliant’s interactive cybersecurity training can help protect your organization from phishing threats.
What is a Phishing Attack?
Phishing is a deceptive technique used by cybercriminals to trick people into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. While it’s easy to define, phishing can be difficult ot detect.
In a typical phishing attack, the scammer impersonates a trusted source, like a bank, vendor, coworker, or even your company’s IT department, and urges the recipient to act quickly. That action might be clicking a malicious link, downloading a file, sharing login details, or authorizing a fraudulent payment.
Phishing attempts can happen through:
- Email: The most common method, often disguised as legitimate messages
- Text messages (SMS): Also known as smishing
- Phone calls: Known as vishing
- Social media or messaging apps: Increasingly used to target employees outside corporate email systems
Because phishing relies on human psychology rather than software vulnerabilities, technology alone can’t stop it. That’s why awareness and training are so critical.
Why Phishing Attacks Are So Effective
Phishing is effective because it exploits human emotions, such as fear, trust, and a sense of urgency.
Cybercriminals understand how people think and act. By crafting messages that appear genuine and seem urgent, they circumvent skepticism and prompt swift decisions. Common psychological tactics include:
- Urgency: “Act now to avoid suspension of your account.”
- Authority: “This is your IT department, reset your password immediately.”
- Fear: “Suspicious activity detected. Click here to secure your account.”
- Curiosity or reward: “You’ve won a prize! Confirm your details to claim it.”
These tactics work; according to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 36% of data breaches involved phishing. Even highly secure organizations can be compromised by one unwary click.
Common Types of Phishing Attacks
Phishing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Cybercriminals use a range of strategies to target individuals and organizations.
Email Phishing
Email phishing is the most common form of phishing, involving the use of deceptive emails to steal sensitive information.
Attackers send emails that mimic trusted entities, complete with logos, language, and sender addresses that look legitimate. These messages often:
- Contain malicious links that lead to fake login pages
- Include attachments that install malware
- Request sensitive information under false pretenses
Example: A fake HR email asks you to log into a “new payroll portal.” The link leads to a lookalike site designed to capture your credentials.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations with tailored messages.
Unlike generic phishing campaigns, spear phishing is personalized. Attackers research their targets, often through LinkedIn or company websites, and use details like job titles, projects, or contacts to make the message more convincing.
Example: A CFO receives an email from a “vendor” requesting payment details for an invoice. The email references a real project, but the bank details belong to the attacker.
Smishing and Vishing
Smishing and vishing use text messages and phone calls to deceive victims.
- Smishing: Attackers send SMS messages with links to malicious websites or requests for personal info
- Vishing: Attackers impersonate trusted figures over the phone, such as bank representatives or company executives
The rise of remote work and bring-your-own-device policies makes these tactics more dangerous, as employees are often outside corporate security controls when using mobile devices.
Clone Phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Clone phishing and BEC attacks exploit trust by mimicking legitimate messages and accounts.
- Clone phishing: Attackers copy a real email and resend it with a malicious link or attachment
- BEC scams: Criminals compromise or spoof a corporate email account, then use it to trick employees into sending money or sensitive data
These attacks often bypass traditional security filters because they appear to come from trusted internal sources.
Phishing in the Workplace: Internal Threats
Compromised employee accounts can become tools for further phishing attacks within an organization.
Once an attacker gains access to a legitimate email account, they can launch phishing campaigns that are almost impossible for other employees to detect. These internal threats can escalate rapidly, spreading malware, exfiltrating sensitive data, and eroding trust among teams.
This is why employee awareness training is just as important as technical security measures.
Recognizing the Signs of a Phishing Attempt
Most phishing attempts share telltale signs if you know where to look.
Watch out for:
- Spelling and grammar errors: Legitimate organizations rarely make basic mistakes
- Suspicious links: Hover over links to see the real destination URL
- Mismatched email addresses: Look closely at the domain name for subtle misspellings
- Unexpected attachments: Especially from unknown senders
- Urgent or threatening language: Pressure to act quickly is a classic phishing tactic
What Is an Example of Phishing?
A classic phishing example is a fake email from a bank requesting that you verify your account.
- Sender: Appears as “support@yourbank.com” (but is really “support@yourbannk.com”)
- Subject: “Immediate Action Required – Account Suspended”
- Message: Warns of suspicious activity and instructs you to click a link
- Link: Leads to a fraudulent login page that steals your credentials
How Do I Know If I Got Phished?
Signs you’ve been phished include unusual account activity, password reset notifications, or being locked out of accounts.
Other red flags:
- You notice unfamiliar logins in your account history
- Colleagues report receiving strange emails from your address
- Sensitive data has been accessed or transferred without authorization
If you suspect you’ve been phished, report it immediately to your IT or security team and change your passwords.
Preventing Phishing in Your Organization
A layered defense combining technology, policies, and employee awareness is the best way to prevent phishing.
Key steps include:
- Enable spam filters: Automatically block known phishing attempts
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA): Adds an extra layer of security even if credentials are stolen
- Establish clear IT policies: Define how sensitive information should be shared
- Educate employees: Regular training keeps phishing risks top of mind
Should You Just Delete Phishing Emails?
Deleting a phishing email isn’t enough; you should also report it to your IT or security team.
Reporting helps:
- Block similar emails for other employees
- Track and investigate ongoing phishing campaigns
- Strengthen spam filters and defenses
Never reply to, click links in, or forward suspicious emails without alerting security.
Why Am I Suddenly Getting a Lot of Phishing Emails?
An increase in phishing emails often indicates that your email address has been exposed in a data breach or added to a spam list.
It doesn’t mean you’ve been singled out; most phishing attacks are mass campaigns targeting thousands of recipients. To reduce risk:
- Avoid sharing your email publicly
- Don’t use the same email for personal and professional accounts
- Regularly check if your email appears in known breach databases
The Importance of Phishing Awareness Training
One uninformed click can compromise your entire organization. Even with advanced firewalls and filters, employees remain the most common entry point for phishing attacks. So, what is phishing training designed to accomplish?
Effective training helps employees:
- Recognize phishing attempts quickly
- Respond appropriately without panic
- Report incidents promptly to minimize potential damage
How Traliant Helps Organizations Prevent Phishing Attacks
Traliant’s Phishing Simulation Service provides an interactive, hands-on way for employees to recognize and respond to phishing threats. By safely exposing employees to realistic phishing attempts in a controlled environment, organizations can uncover potential security gaps, reinforce best practices and build a culture of cybersecurity awareness.
Schedule a phishing simulation consultation
What to Do If You Suspect a Phishing Attack
Acting quickly after a suspected phishing attack can significantly reduce the impact of a phishing incident.
If you suspect a phishing attack occurred, you should:
- Disconnect the device: Prevent further damage or malware spread
- Change passwords immediately: Secure compromised accounts
- Report the incident: Notify IT/security so they can investigate and contain the threat
- Monitor accounts: Look for unauthorized access or unusual activity.
How Training Reinforces Rapid Response
Regular phishing training builds confidence and ensures employees know exactly what to do in the event of a crisis.
When employees are trained to recognize phishing attempts, they respond more quickly, report incidents sooner, and limit potential damage. Prepared teams are less likely to fall for scams — and more likely to recover quickly if one occurs.
Stay Vigilant, Stay Protected
So, what is phishing in the workplace? Phishing is one of the most common and costly cyber threats organizations face. By understanding what phishing is, recognizing its signs, and promoting a culture of awareness, you can transform your workforce into a powerful defense.
Empower your employees, strengthen your policies, and maintain organizational security through ongoing education and vigilance.
Empower your employees to spot and stop phishing threats.
FAQs About Phishing and Email Security
What is an example of phishing?
An example of phishing could be a fake email claiming to be from your bank, which asks you to verify your account by clicking a link. The link leads to a fraudulent site that steals your credentials.
How do I stop phishing emails?
Use spam filters, enable two-factor authentication, and report phishing attempts to enhance filtering effectiveness. Most importantly, train employees to recognize and avoid suspicious emails.
Why am I suddenly getting a lot of phishing emails?
Your email address may have been exposed in a data breach or added to a spam list. These campaigns target many people at once, not just you.
Should you just delete phishing emails?
Don’t just delete them, report them. This helps your IT team block similar messages and strengthens your organization’s defenses.
How do I know if I got phished?
Look for unusual account activity, unfamiliar logins, or password reset notifications. If you suspect phishing, change passwords and report the cybersecurity incident immediately.