Spear phishing vs. phishing: what’s the difference?

Phishing attacks use emails, phone calls, and text messages to convince targets to hand over data or download malware. Spear phishing is a common type of phishing where attackers use private information to focus their emails or calls.

Phishing is a general approach with a low success rate. Spear phishing dramatically increases click-throughs or downloads, making it one of the most critical cybersecurity threats.

What is spear phishing?

Spear phishing is a social engineering technique that targets individuals. Social engineering uses information about targets to create convincing emails or call scripts. Attackers leverage this information to pose as colleagues, friends, or clients.

A quick example shows how spear phishing works. Take an IT manager at a mid-sized company who purchases hardware and SaaS products from regular partners. This individual is an ideal target for a spear phishing method known as the business email compromise.

Criminals obtain data from the Dark Web including the company's procurement history. They use this information to create a fake persona based on a trusted vendor. This persona includes real-life names and historical information.

Research allows attackers to create believable spear phishing emails. This could include sales pitches or update notifications. The IT manager could easily click an attachment and download malware without realizing they have made a mistake.

A spear-phishing attack can be even more sophisticated. Attackers may use social media to build relationships with targets and build trust. They may use spyware to gather information to personalize emails and perfect their fake persona.

Spear phishers usually have a limited set of aims. Goals include:

• Persuading victims to click links to fake websites. These websites resemble legitimate sites. They often include data entry fields for information that should remain confidential. In some cases, fake sites also deliver malware via downloads.
• Downloading malicious attachments. Spear phishing emails may include an attachment posing as a brochure or an invoice. When targets download the attachment, attackers implant malware. This could launch ransomware attacks or deliver surveillance agents to the target network.
• Direct provision of sensitive data. Attackers may coerce victims into providing credit card numbers, private information about important individuals, or valuable information about business strategy.

In all cases, spear phishers develop a plan before launching attacks. They understand how to research, engage, and exploit their targets. This makes spear phishing attacks far more damaging and subtle than standard phishing attacks.

Who are the targets of spear phishing attacks?

Anyone can be an appealing victim from the phisher's perspective. Some attacks target high-value individuals. For example, whaling attacks focus on executive-tier victims.

Whaling works well because CEOs or CFOs leave a detailed data trail about their history and professional roles. Attackers exploit this information to create rich, accurate phishing emails.

Executives also tend to have elevated privileges. This makes their user accounts very attractive to criminals seeking network access.

However, not all spear phishers use this approach. CEO fraud scams target lower-level employees by impersonating managers. This technique makes it easier to convince low-level staffers to make poor decisions.

What is phishing?

The best way to understand the critical importance of spear phishing attacks is by comparing them to other phishing methods. Common phishing attacks include:

Email phishing

Email phishing attacks send thousands of emails to potential victims. Attackers use various techniques to pose as legitimate organizations and fool readers into clicking attachments or following malicious links. Techniques include:

• Typosquatting. Using fake URLs that closely resemble the real thing but contain minor errors.
• Email spoofing. Using DNS cache poisoning and other methods to create "spoofed" sender addresses. A spoofed phishing email appears to come from a genuine contact but is malicious.
• URL shortening. Shortening URLs to hide their differences with legitimate versions.
• Hidden links. Links that are embedded in images or other contact. Users who mistakenly click the images are redirected to fake sites.
• Redirects. Links appear to be safe but redirect users to malicious websites.

Smishing

Smishing is a shortened version of "SMS phishing". In SMS phishing attacks, criminals send large volumes of fake text messages to work or personal smartphones. Text messages include links to malicious websites that carry malware or request confidential information.

Smishing works well because SMS messages often conceal sender addresses or links. It is harder to check emails for evidence of phishing. Smartphones may also lack security tools to detect suspicious emails or scan for malware.

Vishing

Vishing (or "voice phishing") involves using voice communications to manipulate victims. Sophisticated vishers use direct phone calls to pose as representatives of trusted contacts. These attacks rely on in-depth research and monitoring to understand targets and their networks.

Other vishing scams send many generic phone messages, hoping a few recipients will respond. Attackers may use automated robo-diallers to reduce costs and save time, knowing that a few successful responses can make the effort worthwhile.

Angler phishing

Angler phishing involves creating phony social media profiles that entice potential targets to interact—not unlike anglers with their fishing lures.

In this phishing attack, criminals mimic social media behavior such as liking posts, responding to blogs, and following targets. This makes targets more likely to respond to subsequent emails or private messages.

Differences between spear phishing and phishing

Let's quickly summarize the main spear phishing vs. phishing differences before considering prevention techniques.

A conventional phishing attack persuades a target to take risky actions to deliver malware or steal private data. Attackers always assume a phony identity. Targets view the attacker's identity as legitimate, making them vulnerable to fake sites or attachments.

Spear phishing is a highly targeted phishing attack type. Conventional phishing attacks involve thousands or even millions of emails. Spear phishing is an individualized approach. Cybercriminals tailor their attacks around the needs and interests of their targets.

A conventional phishing email tends to be vague. A spear phishing attack uses detailed information relating to the target. For instance, emails include the name, company, and role of the recipient. Attackers know their work history, regular contacts, and the challenges they face in everyday tasks.

Additionally, spear phishing messages have a more convincing tone. Standard phishing emails often have an urgent tone, designed to play on fear and anxiety. Spear phishers work over longer periods. They establish relationships with targets and achieve their goals via conversations that closely resemble work emails.

Intelligently written emails lead to higher click rates. Standard phishing emails have a click-through rate of around 10 percent. In spear phishing attacks, a success rate of 50% is common. As a result, spear phishing emails are much more dangerous cyber threats.

How can you prevent spear phishing and phishing attacks?

According to Deloitte, 91 percent of cyber-attacks start with a phishing email. All companies need prevention strategies to identify and neutralize phishing attacks. Here are some best practices to prevent and mitigate phishing attacks.

Schedule security awareness training

Security awareness training is the most important measure to prevent spear phishing and general phishing attacks. Training to prevent standard phishing attacks should cover:

• Evidence of phishing emails. Explain how phishers use fake websites, embedded links, and spoofed email addresses. Train staff to identify fake links in both emails and SMS messages.
• Using attachments safely. Apply a strict ban on downloading attachments from unknown sources. Employees should also use malware scanning tools to check every download.

Security teams should also schedule training focused on spear phishing attacks. Deliver training to all employees, but reinforce core points to all users with elevated network access privileges. Areas to cover include:

• Identify spear phishing emails. Well-written spear phishing emails closely resemble legitimate messages. Explain how attackers use stolen data and research to build profiles. Stress the need for vigilance and careful analysis before clicking links.
• Verify identities. Spear phishers often appear genuine. Employees must extend the "Zero Trust" approach to emails and phone calls. Require verification of contacts sending data or downloading files. Create processes to report suspicious emails and check the status of senders.

Run phishing simulations

Phishing simulations introduce employees to common email types and challenge them to identify malicious messages.

This matters because employees fail simulations 17 percent of the time for attachments, and 11 percent for malicious links. Over time, simulations can reduce failure rates below 5 percent, supplementing phishing awareness training.

Implement email filtering to block phishing attacks

Spam filters should detect and block generic phishing emails. Ensure filters include keywords related to your business and reflect current threat intelligence. Security databases keep track of known malicious URLs and detect links within emails before they reach employee inboxes.

Put in place threat detection systems

Anti-malware tools and virus scanners proactively check email attachments for malicious content. They also detect malware downloaded from fake sites and provide alerts when employees visit known attack sites.

Use email authentication protocols

Authentication protocols like DKIM and DMARC certify messages, ensuring both sender and recipient are legitimate actors. Authentication protocols cut the risk of email spoofing, allowing trusted parties to exchange information.

Create policies to report and verify phishing attacks

Companies need pathways to report suspicious emails, phone calls, and social media activity. Create a reporting system and review reports regularly. Assign resources to verify urgent requests, and approve or block email senders based on security risks.

Don't let poor phishing security compromise your data. Understand the difference between spear phishing vs. phishing and put in place measures to defend critical assets.