EMailPhishing

EMailPhishing is a form of social engineering in which attackers send fraudulent email messages designed to deceive recipients into revealing credentials, installing malware, or performing actions that benefit the attacker. The technique relies on manipulation of trust, urgency, and perceived legitimacy to bypass cautious judgment. The term is commonly written "email phishing"; EMailPhishing is used here as a stylized form.

Attackers use methods such as forged sender addresses and display names, spoofed domains, links to fake login pages, and attachments containing malware. Targeted variants, including spear phishing and whaling, tailor messages to specific individuals or organizations based on gathered information.

Common indicators include mismatched sender domains, unexpected or generic greetings, poor spelling or formatting, urgent requests, requests for credentials or financial transfers, and URLs that appear legitimate but lead to fraudulent sites or downloads.

Risks encompass credential compromise, unauthorized access, financial loss, data breaches, malware infections, and reputational harm. The threat is amplified by password reuse and weak authentication practices, underscoring the need for strong security controls.

Prevention combines technical controls and user education. Deploy email filtering, link scanning, and sandboxing; implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC; require multi-factor authentication; and enforce least-privilege access. Regular phishing awareness training helps users recognize suspicious messages.

If a message is suspected, verify through independent channels, avoid clicking links or opening attachments, and report it to IT or security staff. Quarantine the email and change passwords if credentials were entered or leaked.