A collection of concise, expert-backed phishing prevention tips designed for both technical and non-technical audiences. Topics include password hygiene, secure browsing practices, email filtering configurations, and organizational policies that minimize exposure to phishing campaigns.
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In 2023, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 298,000 phishing complaints — making it the most reported cybercrime category for the fifth consecutive year. Yet most of the phishing prevention tips circulating online read like they were written in 2009. "Don't click suspicious
In 2023, a single phishing email cost MGM Resorts an estimated $100 million. The threat actor didn't exploit a zero-day vulnerability or deploy exotic malware. They called the help desk, impersonated an employee found on LinkedIn, and got a password reset. That's it. If you'
A Single Email Cost This Company $100 Million In 2019, Toyota Boshoku Corporation — a major Toyota parts supplier — lost $37 million after employees wired funds to accounts controlled by attackers who impersonated a business partner via email. Facebook and Google collectively lost over $100 million to a Lithuanian man who
In March 2024, a finance employee at a multinational firm wired $25 million to threat actors after a deepfake video call that impersonated the company's CFO. The attack started with a single phishing email. That one message opened the door to a loss most companies would never recover
In 2023, a single phishing email gave threat actors access to MGM Resorts' entire IT infrastructure. The attackers impersonated an employee on a help desk call — a technique they refined through information harvested from a phishing campaign. The result was over $100 million in losses and days of operational
In January 2024, a finance employee at a multinational firm in Hong Kong wired $25 million to threat actors after a deepfake video call convinced him his CFO had authorized the transfer. It started with a phishing email. Every catastrophic breach I've investigated over the past decade traces
The Phishing Email That Cost Ubiquiti $46.7 Million In 2015, networking giant Ubiquiti Networks disclosed that attackers used carefully crafted phishing emails to trick finance department employees into wiring $46.7 million to overseas accounts controlled by threat actors. The emails impersonated executives. They looked legitimate. And trained professionals
In March 2021, a massive phishing campaign impersonating Microsoft Office 365 hit over 10,000 mailboxes across the financial services sector in a single week. The emails were nearly flawless — correct logos, legitimate-looking sender domains, and urgent language about password expiration. Dozens of employees handed over their credentials before anyone
In July 2021, a single phishing email gave attackers access to an employee's credentials at a Florida-based managed service provider, ultimately cascading into the massive Kaseya VSA supply-chain ransomware attack that hit over 1,500 businesses worldwide. One email. One click. Billions in damages. If you've
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $4.2 billion in losses from cybercrime in 2020 — and phishing scams were the number one reported attack type, with 241,342 complaints. That's not a typo. Nearly a quarter of a million people filed formal complaints about phishing
