Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds us that staying secure online isn’t optional – it’s a must. At cyan, we believe cybersecurity doesn’t have to be complicated. Our goal is to make protection as simple and accessible as possible for everyone.
In fact, we know that the most effective defense often starts with the simplest actions: staying alert, using the right tools, and knowing what to look for.
Phishing remains one of the most common and dangerous cyber threats today. Criminals continue to refine their tactics, blending new technologies like artificial intelligence with old tricks designed to exploit trust. Alongside having the right tools in place for proactive protection, understanding the most common forms of cyber attacks like for example phishing – and how to prevent them – is a crucial step toward digital safety.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of cyberattack where criminals impersonate trusted entities (for example, banks or delivery services) to deceive users into revealing confidential information such as passwords, banking details, or login credentials. These attacks often arrive as emails, text messages, or social media posts, looking legitimate at first glance but engineered to trick you into taking harmful actions such as clicking malicious links, sharing personal details with criminal actors, or downloading infected files.
The Most Common Forms of Phishing
- Email or Deception Phishing 📧
Still the most widespread method, this involves fake emails that appear to come from trusted sources such as banks, delivery services, or company colleagues. Attackers use urgent language to push recipients to click links or download attachments.
How to avoid it:- Check the sender’s domain carefully (look for subtle misspellings).
- Hover over links before clicking; if the URL looks suspicious, don’t proceed.
- Use advanced email filters or cybersecurity tools that block malicious content automatically.
- Spear Phishing 🎯
This highly targeted attack focuses on specific individuals or organizations. Messages often reference personal or business details found online to make the email seem credible – for example, a “colleague” requesting sensitive information.
How to avoid it:- Be skeptical of unusual requests, even from familiar names.
- Verify directly with the sender using a trusted communication channel.
- Stay informed, use appropriate protection tools and two-factor authentication.
- Whaling Attacks 🐋
Whaling targets senior executives or decision-makers. These emails are crafted with precision and often avoid obvious red flags like fake links. Instead, they may request financial transfers, tax records, or other confidential data.
How to avoid it:- Establish internal verification procedures for sensitive requests.
- Stay up to date with the latest developments and risks of social engineering.
- Use role-based access control to limit exposure.
- Angler Phishing 🎣
A growing threat on social media, angler phishing uses fake customer support accounts, cloned profiles, or malicious links in posts and comments. Scammers exploit user trust and real-time engagement.
How to avoid it:- Engage only with verified brand accounts.
- Avoid sharing personal details through social media messages.
- Keep social apps updated and use privacy settings wisely.
- Smishing & Vishing 📱
Phishing has gone mobile. Smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing) target users via text or phone calls. Messages often claim to be from delivery services or banks, urging users to click links or share information.
How to avoid it:- Ensure that you have respective digital protection installed an active.
- Don’t click links or provide personal data via text or phone.
- Contact the institution directly using official contact details.
How cyan helps stop phishing
At cyan, we focus on preventing harm before it reaches users. Our technology identifies and blocks phishing attempts in (almost) real time across email, web, and mobile channels.
A great example of our constant efforts is our Brand Impersonation Detection.
The dedicated Brand Impersonation research project enables early detection of fake websites that imitate legitimate brands. By monitoring newly issued TSL certificates, we’ve analyzed more than 3 billion certificates (and counting), isolating around 5 million domains for deeper inspection on a daily base and based on the results of inspection downloading 500.000+ per day for in-depth content-based investigation.
This proactive detection helps us stop phishing campaigns before they can spread.
Simple Security is Smart Security
In today’s complex digital world, simplicity is power. Cybercriminals rely on confusion, fear, and inattention – but awareness and smart tools can change that.
This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, remember:
✅ Stay skeptical of unexpected messages.
✅ Think before you click or share.
✅ Use digital protection that works quietly in the background.