Phishing attacks are primarily driven by two main goals: gaining unauthorized access to systems and stealing money. While the methods and tactics may vary, the underlying objective is almost always to obtain either sensitive data or direct financial gain. Understanding these dual goals is key to recognizing the danger posed by phishing attempts. Here’s how attackers target both:

• Access: Phishers often seek to gain access to systems, accounts, or networks by stealing login credentials, security tokens, or other sensitive data. Once inside, they can move laterally through networks, steal additional data, or install malware and ransomware. Access is often the first step in more complex attacks, where criminals can use your credentials to bypass security measures and compromise larger systems.
• Financial Gain: Many phishing attacks are designed to directly steal money from individuals or organizations. Attackers may attempt to trick you into providing credit card details, wire transfer information, or access to financial accounts. Business email compromise (BEC) schemes, for instance, frequently involve phishers posing as executives to authorize fraudulent wire transfers or purchases. In other cases, attackers may demand a ransom in exchange for releasing locked data or systems.
• Data Harvesting for Future Exploits: In some cases, phishers are looking to gather data for future attacks, either on the victim or on third parties. Personal information, company secrets, or sensitive client data can be sold on the dark web or used for blackmail, identity theft, or spear phishing in subsequent attacks.
• Identity Theft: Phishers often steal personal information to commit identity theft. Once they obtain sensitive details such as your Social Security number, bank account information, or passwords, they can assume your identity, taking out loans or committing fraud in your name.
• Credential Stuffing: Attackers who gain access to usernames and passwords may use them for credential stuffing, a technique where they test stolen credentials across various websites or services, taking advantage of individuals who reuse the same passwords for multiple accounts. This can lead to a broader breach of personal or organizational systems.
• Ransomware Deployment: Phishing emails are a common delivery method for ransomware. By tricking users into downloading malicious attachments or clicking on infected links, attackers can install ransomware that encrypts data, rendering it inaccessible until a ransom is paid. This often leads to both financial loss and operational downtime.
• Business Disruption: Beyond direct financial theft, phishers sometimes aim to cause disruption to business operations. This can be through the installation of malware that halts production, locks critical data, or damages reputations by exposing sensitive information. The goal is to weaken the target’s ability to function, often while holding their data or systems hostage.
• Espionage and Surveillance: Phishing isn’t always about money. In some cases, attackers aim to gain access to confidential data for espionage or surveillance. State-sponsored attacks, corporate espionage, or insider threats may use phishing to infiltrate networks, gather intelligence, or spy on internal communications.