What is phishing? It’s the type of threat that can bypass even strong defenses—causing nearly 2,330 phishing attempts per year in an average 1,000-employee organization.
Phishing is one of the most common—and costly—ways cybercriminals break into businesses. Every day, inboxes are flooded with fake messages designed to steal passwords, trick employees, or unleash malware. And yet, despite how widespread these attacks are, many people still ask: what is phishing, exactly?
If you’ve ever paused before clicking a strange link or wondered whether an email is real, you’re not alone. Understanding what phishing is—and how to spot it—is the first step toward protecting yourself and your organization. This guide breaks it down in plain language.
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is a type of cyberattack where a scammer pretends to be a legitimate source—like your bank, your IT department, or even a trusted coworker—in order to deceive you into giving up something valuable. That could be your login credentials, company financial data, access to internal systems, or even just a single click that installs malware.
Most people associate phishing with email, and that’s still the most common method. But phishing can happen through multiple channels:
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Email phishing: A fake message disguised as something official—like a password reset or invoice—that urges you to click a link or open an attachment.
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SMS phishing (smishing): A text message that appears to come from a delivery service, bank, or even your boss, pushing you to act fast.
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Voice phishing (vishing): A scam phone call pretending to be from tech support, a vendor, or even a government agency.
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Social media phishing: Direct messages or friend requests from fake profiles designed to trick you into sharing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
What is Phishing? – “Phishing is a form of social engineering where attackers trick people into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, by pretending to be a trustworthy entity in electronic communications.”
— Kevin Mitnick
No matter the method, the end goal is the same: steal your credentials, install malware, or trick you into performing an action that puts your company at risk.
📖 Want to see how training and simulations can prevent this?
👉 The Business Owner’s Guide to Phishing Security Awareness Training & Simulation
Why Does Phishing Work?
Phishing isn’t about hacking systems—it’s about hacking people. These attacks succeed because they’re designed to bypass logic and exploit human emotions like fear, urgency, curiosity, or trust.
This psychological manipulation is called social engineering—and it works remarkably well. The most dangerous phishing emails don’t contain obvious spelling errors or weird grammar anymore. They’re professionally designed, personalized, and often appear to come from someone inside your organization.
Here are some real-world tactics attackers use:
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“Your password is expiring. Click here to update it immediately.”
(Creates urgency and impersonates IT or Microsoft.) -
“You missed a delivery. Reschedule now to avoid return.”
(Targets curiosity and impersonates a shipping company like UPS or FedEx.) -
“Can you process a wire transfer for me before end of day?”
(Impersonates a CEO or supervisor and relies on authority and pressure.)
Even the most cautious employee can get caught off guard when a message appears to be from someone they trust, especially if they’re moving quickly.
Quote from Mika Aalto, co-founder and CEO of Hoxhunt: “In the near future, AI will power significantly more phishing attacks—everything from text-based impersonations to deepfake communications will become cheaper, more convincing, and more popular with threat actors.”
Phishing works not because people aren’t smart—but because attackers are smart about how people think.
Common Signs of a Phishing Attempt
To protect yourself, look for these red flags:
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Unexpected or generic greetings like “Dear user” or “Hi customer”
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Urgent language (“act now,” “account suspended”)
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Suspicious links (hover over them before clicking)
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Attachments you weren’t expecting
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Misspellings or strange grammar
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Sender email addresses that look close—but not quite right
📖 Want real-life training examples?
👉 Real-Life Phishing Scenarios: Train Your Team with Examples
What Should You Do If You Suspect Phishing?
Even the most convincing phishing attempts usually have something that feels “off.” Maybe the tone is strange, the request is unexpected, or the link looks just a little bit suspicious. When in doubt, don’t click—and don’t ignore it, either.
What is phishing? It’s one of the most financially devastating cyber threats, costing organizations an average of $4.88 million per breach, according to the 2024 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report.
Here’s what you should do instead:
1. Report the email immediately
Use your email platform’s built-in “Report Phishing” button, if available. If your organization uses Outlook or Gmail, this not only flags the message for review but also helps improve system-wide filtering. If you don’t have that option, forward the email to your IT or security team.
🛑 Why this matters: The sooner a phishing attempt is reported, the faster your IT team can block it and prevent others from falling for the same message.
2. Do not reply, click, or download anything
Avoid the instinct to “test” the email by clicking a link or opening an attachment. Even previewing a malicious file or responding to the sender could trigger malware or let the attacker know the address is active.
🛑 Why this matters: Clicking or engaging with the message can activate harmful scripts, lead to spoofed websites, or prompt you to enter sensitive login credentials.
3. Verify through a known, trusted channel
If the email appears to come from a coworker, supervisor, or vendor—but something doesn’t feel right—pick up the phone or send a separate message using contact information you already have on file. Never respond directly to the suspicious message to verify it.
🛑 Why this matters: Attackers often spoof legitimate names or email addresses. Verifying independently helps you confirm whether the message is real without tipping off the attacker.
4. Document the attempt if needed
Some organizations—especially in legal, finance, or healthcare—require tracking phishing attempts for compliance purposes. Follow your company’s procedures for documenting suspicious activity.
Still asking what is phishing and why it matters? It’s involved in 36% of all data breaches, and 84% of businesses were targeted at least once in a single year.
Final Tip: Trust your instincts
If something doesn’t look or feel right, trust your gut. It’s better to over-report a suspicious message than to overlook one that compromises your company’s security.
📖 Need more examples?
👉 Real-Life Phishing Scenarios: Train Your Team with Examples
Final Thoughts
Phishing attacks can be sneaky, but you don’t have to be fooled. By staying alert to the warning signs and taking a few extra seconds to think before you click, you can help protect yourself—and your entire organization.
At Professional Computer Concepts, we help businesses train employees to recognize phishing attempts and respond with confidence. Through hands-on security awareness training, phishing simulations, and real-time coaching, we give your team the tools they need to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
📌 Ready to strengthen your frontline defense? Let’s talk about how we can help.
How Professional Computer Concepts Helps You Stay Ahead of Phishing Threats
At Professional Computer Concepts, we believe that phishing awareness shouldn’t stop at education—it should lead to action. That’s why we provide complete, managed solutions that help your business not only train employees but also measure their progress and reduce risk over time.
We support small and mid-sized businesses across Novato, Marin County, and the Greater Bay Area with cybersecurity programs that are practical, proactive, and built to scale.
Our services include:
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Security Awareness Training (SAT): Easy-to-understand training that teaches your team how to spot and avoid phishing attacks.
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Managed Phishing Simulations: Realistic phishing emails sent to your employees to see who clicks, who reports, and where you need to improve.
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Phishing Response Coaching: Personalized follow-up and remediation support for employees who need extra guidance.
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Phishing Metrics and Reporting: Actionable insights that show how your team is improving and where to focus next.
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peFull Cybersecurity Support: Including dark web monitoring, endpoint protection, incident response, and vCIO strategy for long-term security planning.
Whether you’re in legal, construction, manufacturing, or professional services, we help you turn your employees into your strongest defense—not your weakest link.
📌 Ready to protect your business from phishing and other threats? Let’s talk.