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AI Attacks AI Phishing Cyber Attacks Cyber Phishing Deepfake Phishing Phishing Attacks SEG threat report

Modern Phishing Attacks: Insights from the Egress Phishing Threat Trends Report

 

Phishing attacks have long been a significant threat in the cybersecurity landscape, but as technology evolves, so do the tactics employed by cybercriminals. The latest insights from the Egress Phishing Threat Trends Report shed light on the sophistication and evolution of these attacks, offering valuable insights into the current threat landscape. 

One notable trend highlighted in the report is the proliferation of QR code payloads in phishing emails. While QR code payloads were relatively rare in previous years, they have seen a significant increase, accounting for 12.4% of attacks in 2023 and remaining at 10.8% in 2024. This shift underscores the adaptability of cybercriminals and their ability to leverage emerging technologies to perpetrate attacks. 

In addition to QR code payloads, social engineering tactics have also become increasingly prevalent in phishing attacks. These tactics, which involve manipulating individuals into divulging sensitive information, now represent 19% of phishing attacks. 

Moreover, phishing emails have become over three times longer since 2021, likely due to the use of generative AI to craft more convincing messages. Multi-channel attacks have also emerged as a prominent threat, with platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack being utilized as the second step in these attacks. Microsoft Teams, in particular, has experienced a significant increase in usage, with a 104.4% rise in 2024 compared to the previous year. This trend highlights the importance of securing not just email communications but also other communication channels within organizations. 

Another concerning development is the use of deepfakes in phishing attacks. These AI-generated audio and video manipulations have become increasingly sophisticated and are being used to deceive victims into disclosing sensitive information. The report predicts that the use of deepfakes in cyberattacks will continue to rise in the coming years, posing a significant challenge for defenders. Despite advancements in email security, many phishing attacks still successfully bypass Secure Email Gateways (SEGs). Obfuscation techniques, such as hijacking legitimate hyperlinks and masking phishing URLs within image attachments, are commonly used to evade detection. This highlights the need for organizations to implement robust security measures beyond traditional email filtering solutions. 

Furthermore, the report identifies millennials as the top targets for phishing attacks, receiving 37.5% of phishing emails. Industries such as finance, legal, and healthcare are among the most targeted, with individuals in accounting and finance roles receiving the highest volume of phishing emails. As cybercriminals continue to innovate and adapt their tactics, organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity. 

This includes implementing comprehensive security awareness training programs, leveraging advanced threat detection technologies, and regularly updating security policies and procedures. 

The Egress Phishing Threat Trends Report provides valuable insights into the evolving nature of phishing attacks and underscores the importance of a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity in today's threat landscape. By staying informed and proactive, organizations can better protect themselves against the growing threat of phishing attacks.
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communication Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity Emails Ransoware SEG

Email Security: Secure Email Gateways


You expect a message to reach the intended recipient without any errors when you send it via email. There is a small group of people who are within this group as cybercriminals. They are constantly trying to hijack emails. They also trick people into opening malicious attachments or clicking on links that will provide them with malware to install on their devices.  

Therefore, what are the best ways to protect yourself, your family, your friends, and your employees from these risks? By implementing a secure email gateway, you can prevent these threats from occurring. 

There are several types of secure email gateways (SEG), some of which are used by businesses, organizations, or governments to protect their internal email servers from cyberattacks that can infiltrate the email servers of those organizations. SEGs ensure that outgoing and inbound emails contain no malicious elements. Using this feature, users can keep track of emails they have sent and received and decide if they should be processed according to their previous instructions.  

To protect email communications, secure email gateways are placed to connect the organization's server to the public internet. As any message enters or leaves the server, it is scanned by the SEG. 

Essentially, SEGs are designed to prevent unwanted emails from being able to reach the servers of your email service provider to cause any damage. In this way, SEGs offer a level of protection for confidential information from cyber criminals, provide data privacy, and encrypt sensitive emails to protect data from being breached. 

Several types of emails could be harmful, including 

  • Spam
  • Malware
  • Viruses
  • Business Email Compromise (BEC)
  • Fraudulent content
  • Ransomware
  • Denial-of-Service (DoS) or Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks
  • Trojan
  • Phishing attacks
Further, SEGs are expected to thoroughly scan outbound emails and internal email communications between employees. This is to prevent sensitive information about the business from being leaked into the public domain. If malicious content is detected on the server, emails will not be allowed to leave the server. 

What Are the Functions of a Secure Email Gateway? 

SEGs are designed to scan and filter incoming and outgoing emails on an email server. They employ a set of rules that the system uses to assess the potential for spam. Both inbound and outbound emails are protected against harmful content that can be transmitted between your devices and your network. 

As part of the scanning process, SEGs confirm whether any malicious content has been included in the domain, its contents, and any attachments inside the email. If the messages are found free of malware following the scanning process, the SEG routes them to the email server. The SEG also routes them to the user's mailbox if they do not contain malware. 

What are the features of secure email gateways? 

SEGs have their unique functions and features, but here are some of the most common security features that SEGs offer. 

Filtering spam mail 

Technology for spam filtering uses algorithms to identify spam from known spam email domains and quarantine or block it. 

Spammers use specific patterns of email content to detect new emails with spam-related patterns, such as keywords and malicious links, as well as new emails. In addition, this feature will allow users to report spam and block the sender if certain spam emails pass the gateway and enter your mailbox. 

Protection against malware and viruses 

Additionally, it protects you against malware and viruses that may infect your email network due to malware on your computer. The company employs antivirus software to scan emails and block or quarantine any that have viruses or malware in them, thereby protecting the company from liability. As cybercrime continues to evolve, it is imperative to keep your antivirus software up to date at all times. 

Archiving of e-mails 

Email services are managed by SEGs. You can use them to store and manage your organization's emails so that you can meet your organization's data management and legal compliance requirements. 

Security Email Gateways Can Help You Keep Your Emails Safe 

Various cyber threats can be found in the form of phishing, spam, denial-of-service attacks, and extremely advanced fraud attacks. Thus, individual, business, corporate, and government entities, along with their employees, should employ SIEGs to secure their email accounts from malicious entities that often seek to steal data or cause harm through other means.   

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