*Phishing* is when a bad actor lures an unsuspecting user into clicking on an email link (or any other link) and unleashing a virus or other cybersecurity issue that is a crime and can leader to further fraud.
Sometimes the repercussions are smallish (i.e., spamming one’s friends). Sometimes one clicks on a phishing email unleashes a severe, debilitating ransomware attack (i.e., shut down an entire organization until a ransom is paid).
In all cases the impact is damaging; and the threat of phishing has gotten exponentially worse in recent years. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security even called it out in its 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment report.
A few key reasons why this is happening with increased frequency and impact:
More sophisticated trickery available in age of AI. Artificial intelligence can help bad actors create increasingly accurate and compelling email content to dupe individuals.
We live larger percentage of our lives online. As we spend more of our lives tied to our…