Phishing has always been the most reliable way in for attackers, and in 2024 it got a lot more sophisticated. AI-written emails, deepfake audio and more convincing domain spoofing pushed phishing success rates to record highs.
Why phishing exploded in 2024
The biggest driver was how easy AI writing tools have become to use. Criminals can now produce grammatically perfect, context-aware phishing emails at scale. The typos and awkward phrasing that used to give them away are gone.
At the same time, business email compromise (BEC) attacks, where someone impersonates an executive or a vendor, became more targeted. Attackers research LinkedIn, company websites and social media to write messages that mention real projects, real people and real relationships.
"The era of catching phishing by looking for bad grammar is over. Your employees need real training, and your systems need technical controls."
Tristan N., Senior Security Analyst
What you can do right now
The good news is that most phishing attacks can be stopped with layered defenses. Here's what we recommend to every client:
- Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere. Even if a password gets stolen, MFA stops the attacker from logging in. This one control blocks over 99% of automated credential attacks.
- Use email security filtering. Modern platforms (Defender for Office 365, Proofpoint, Mimecast) use AI to catch suspicious links, impersonation attempts and unusual sending patterns before the email reaches your inbox.
- Run quarterly phishing simulations. Send fake phishing emails to your own staff. Track who clicks, who reports it and who needs more training. Over time, your team gets much harder to fool.
- Set up DMARC, DKIM and SPF. These email authentication standards make it much harder for attackers to spoof your domain, which protects your employees and your clients from emails pretending to be you.
- Train people on BEC red flags. Any email asking for a wire transfer, gift cards or a password reset, especially an urgent one, should be verified another way. Call the person directly. Don't reply to the email.
The role of AI in defense
Attackers are using AI to write better attacks, and defenders are using it to catch them. Newer email security tools look at behavior: they flag lookalike domains, unusual login locations and internal accounts suddenly sending messages they've never sent before.
Quick win: If you haven't reviewed your email security settings in the last 6 months, book a 30-minute audit with your IT team. Most organizations have gaps they don't know about.
Getting help
If you're not sure where your organization stands, Sentiva offers a free security assessment covering email security, endpoint protection and employee awareness. Get in touch to get started.