Phishing

A central concept in cybersecurity, phishing is a type of social engineering attack where malicious actors disguise themselves as a legitimate institution or individual, typically via email, text message, or fraudulent websites. The primary objective is to deceive victims into voluntarily providing sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card details, or other personal data. By creating a sense of urgency or trust, these attacks lure users into clicking malicious links or opening compromised attachments, ultimately leading to identity theft, financial loss, or the deployment of malware onto their system.

1. Introduction to Phishing
   1. Defining Phishing
      1. Basic Definition
      2. Key Characteristics
      3. Distinction from Other Cyber Threats
   2. Phishing as a Form of Social Engineering
      1. Social Engineering Overview
      2. Human Vulnerabilities Exploited
      3. Comparison with Other Social Engineering Attacks
   3. Core Objectives of Phishing Attacks
      1. Data Theft
         1. Credential Harvesting
            1. Usernames and Passwords
            2. Security Questions and Answers
            3. Multi-Factor Authentication Tokens
         2. Financial Information Theft
            1. Credit Card Numbers
            2. Bank Account Details
            3. Payment Service Credentials
            4. Cryptocurrency Wallet Information
         3. Personal Identifiable Information (PII) Collection
            1. Social Security Numbers
            2. Driver's License Information
            3. Passport Details
            4. Addresses and Phone Numbers
            5. Date of Birth
            6. Medical Information
      2. Malware Deployment
         1. Ransomware Distribution
         2. Keylogger Installation
         3. Remote Access Trojans (RATs)
         4. Spyware Deployment
         5. Banking Trojans
         6. Cryptominers
      3. Financial Fraud
         1. Unauthorized Transactions
         2. Invoice and Payment Redirection
         3. Business Email Compromise (BEC)
         4. Wire Transfer Fraud
      4. Corporate Espionage
         1. Intellectual Property Theft
         2. Trade Secret Acquisition
         3. Competitive Intelligence Gathering
      5. State-Sponsored Activities
         1. Government Intelligence Collection
         2. Critical Infrastructure Targeting
         3. Political Manipulation
   4. Historical Context and Evolution
      1. Early Phishing Incidents
         1. AOL Account Theft (1990s)
         2. First Email Phishing Campaigns
      2. Evolution of Techniques
         1. From Simple Emails to Sophisticated Campaigns
         2. Integration with Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
      3. Notable Phishing Campaigns
         1. Operation Phish Phry
         2. Target Corporation Breach
         3. Anthem Healthcare Attack
      4. Current Trends and Future Directions
         1. AI-Enhanced Phishing
         2. Mobile-First Attacks
         3. Cloud Service Targeting