It’s one thing to see specific threat vectors grow a bit over the course of quarters. When that happens, we all, generally, brush it off as a slight shift in tactics on the part of cybercriminals. But when you hear about material increases in the number of attacks, it’s time to stop what you’re doing and take notice.
Proofpoint’s 2019 State of the Phish report shows that organizations are feeling the heat of phishing like never before – and feeling its’ impact as well. According to the report, all types of phishing attacks in 2018 occurred more frequently than in 2017:
- 96% of organizations said the rate of phishing attacks either increased or stayed consistent throughout the year
- IT professionals experiencing spear phishing jumped nearly 21%
- USB-based Social Engineering attacks experienced jumped 25%
- Vishing (voice phishing) and smishing (SMS-based phishing) increased by 9%