Phishing remains the predominant threat to corporate security, as highlighted by Crowdstrike’s 2023 Global Threat Report. It stated that "80% of cyberattacks leveraged identity-based techniques to compromise legitimate credentials and try to evade detection." While defensive measures are often the first thought in cybersecurity, understanding how an adversary attacks provides the foundation for a stronger defensive strategy.

What really happens during a phishing attack?

There are many structured frameworks that break down cyber attacks, one of them being the Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain. This model divides an attack into seven steps: Reconnaissance, Weaponization, Delivery, Exploitation, Installation, Command and Control, and Action on Objectives. This enhances visibility into an attack and also gives us understanding of an adversary’s tactics, techniques, and procedures. Applying this model to phishing offers a comprehensive view of the attack.

Understanding each step helps us identify and implement effective countermeasures at every stage of the attack.

Disrupt the kill chain

Our phishing kill chain analysis offers a step-by-step breakdown of a phishing attack, from the initial reconnaissance through actions on objectives. For each step, we provide a description of what typically occurs during the step, illustrate a real world scenario, and advise on how to disrupt the kill chain at that particular phase.

Furthermore, discover how Beyond Identity's solutions are uniquely positioned to counteract adversaries during the critical stages of reconnaissance, exploitation, and command and control.

Put on your cyber attacker hat today

Embrace your inner cyber attacker with our comprehensive Phishing Kill Chain Analysis today.