{"id":248461,"date":"2026-11-02T00:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T00:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T00:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T00:00:49","slug":"types-of-email-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Email Attacks: How They Work and How to Spot Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"336cb5b64765e27a1a6c1bb71b941f1a\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4830628043307652\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- above content -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4830628043307652\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"5864845439\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The main types of email attacks are phishing (including spear phishing and whaling), business email compromise, spoofing, malware and ransomware delivery, man-in-the-middle interception, data exfiltration and spam. They differ in what the attacker wants: your credentials, your money, control of your device or your data. Once you know the goal behind each one, the warning signs become much easier to recognize.<\/p>\n<div data-blg-cta=\"after_tldr\" data-blg-cta-layout=\"banner\" style=\"margin:28px 0;font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif\">\n<div style=\"border-radius:26px;padding:min(22px,3.2vw)\">\n<div style=\"background:#ffffff;border-radius:18px;overflow:hidden\">\n<div style=\"padding:34px 30px;text-align:center\">\n<div style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><span style=\"max-width:100%;border-radius:999px;padding:6px 13px;font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:0.1em;text-transform:uppercase;line-height:1.3;background:#F47F24;color:#ffffff\">Logmeonce<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size:26px;font-weight:800;line-height:1.2;letter-spacing:-0.01em;color:#1f2937;margin:0\">Strengthen Your Email Security<\/div>\n<div style=\"width:56px;height:6px;border-radius:3px;background:#F47F24;margin:12px 0 14px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;color:#64748b;margin:0 0 24px;max-width:44em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\">Explore LogMeOnce resources on password management and identity security to help protect accounts against credential theft from email attacks.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\" style=\"align-items:center;gap:9px;border-radius:10px;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;text-decoration:none;padding:13px 22px 13px 26px;background:#F47F24;color:#ffffff\">Explore security resources<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_77 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#TLDR\" >TL;DR<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#The_main_types_of_email_attacks_at_a_glance\" >The main types of email attacks at a glance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Phishing_and_its_variants\" >Phishing and its variants<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Spear_phishing\" >Spear phishing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Whaling\" >Whaling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Other_phishing_channels_and_tricks\" >Other phishing channels and tricks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Business_email_compromise\" >Business email compromise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Email_spoofing\" >Email spoofing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Malware_ransomware_and_malicious_attachments\" >Malware, ransomware and malicious attachments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Man-in-the-middle_data_exfiltration_and_spam\" >Man-in-the-middle, data exfiltration and spam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Warning_signs_that_an_email_is_an_attack\" >Warning signs that an email is an attack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Perspective_why_the_password_is_the_real_target\" >Perspective: why the password is the real target<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#How_to_defend_against_email_attacks\" >How to defend against email attacks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#For_individuals\" >For individuals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#For_teams_and_organizations\" >For teams and organizations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#What_to_do_if_you_clicked_or_shared_information\" >What to do if you clicked or shared information<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Protect_your_logins_with_LogMeOnce\" >Protect your logins with LogMeOnce<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#What_are_the_most_common_types_of_email_attacks\" >What are the most common types of email attacks?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#What_is_the_difference_between_phishing_and_spear_phishing\" >What is the difference between phishing and spear phishing?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#How_is_business_email_compromise_different_from_regular_phishing\" >How is business email compromise different from regular phishing?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#How_can_I_tell_if_an_email_is_a_phishing_attack\" >How can I tell if an email is a phishing attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Can_a_password_manager_help_against_email_attacks\" >Can a password manager help against email attacks?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/types-of-email-attacks\/#Sources\" >Sources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"tldr\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TLDR\"><\/span>TL;DR<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Most email attacks fall into a few families: phishing, impersonation (spoofing and BEC), malware delivery, interception and data theft.<\/li>\n<li>Phishing steals information, BEC steals money, ransomware locks files, and spoofing makes all of them look believable.<\/li>\n<li>Urgent language, requests for sensitive details, mismatched addresses and unexpected links or attachments are the classic red flags. Perfect grammar proves nothing.<\/li>\n<li>Never click or call from inside a suspicious message. Verify through a website or contact method you already trust.<\/li>\n<li>Strong unique passwords, multi-factor authentication and email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) cut the damage when something slips through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"the-main-types-of-email-attacks-at-a-glance\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_main_types_of_email_attacks_at_a_glance\"><\/span>The main types of email attacks at a glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Security vendors group email threats in different ways, but the same core list appears again and again. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/news\/email-security\/837608\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">TechTarget\u2019s email security coverage<\/a> lists phishing, spoofing, spamming, malware delivery (viruses, worms, ransomware and spyware), business email compromise, ransomware, man-in-the-middle attacks and data exfiltration.<\/p>\n<p>The table below shows how they differ in practice.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Attack type<\/th>\n<th>What the attacker wants<\/th>\n<th>Typical trick<\/th>\n<th>Who is usually targeted<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Phishing<\/td>\n<td>Passwords, card and bank details<\/td>\n<td>A message that looks like a bank, shop or colleague<\/td>\n<td>Anyone, in bulk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spear phishing<\/td>\n<td>Credentials or access<\/td>\n<td>A message personalized with details about you<\/td>\n<td>Specific people or teams<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Whaling<\/td>\n<td>High-value access or payments<\/td>\n<td>A high-risk request aimed at senior leaders<\/td>\n<td>Executives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Business email compromise (BEC)<\/td>\n<td>A wire transfer or sensitive data<\/td>\n<td>A believable request from a boss, vendor or partner<\/td>\n<td>Finance, HR, executives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Spoofing<\/td>\n<td>Trust<\/td>\n<td>A forged sender name or address<\/td>\n<td>Everyone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Malware and ransomware<\/td>\n<td>Control of a device, or payment<\/td>\n<td>A malicious attachment or link<\/td>\n<td>Anyone who opens it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Man-in-the-middle<\/td>\n<td>Secret access to conversations<\/td>\n<td>Intercepting traffic or messages<\/td>\n<td>Users on weak or hostile networks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Data exfiltration<\/td>\n<td>Stored data<\/td>\n<td>Stealing data from mailboxes and email systems<\/td>\n<td>Organizations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The sections below take each one in turn.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"phishing-and-its-variants\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phishing_and_its_variants\"><\/span>Phishing and its variants<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Phishing is the attack most people mean when they talk about email scams. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gc.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/ITSM.60.002-email-security-best-practices-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">describes phishing<\/a> as using seemingly legitimate emails to manipulate people into disclosing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and bank account details.<\/p>\n<p>A typical example: a message claims your account has been locked and tells you to \u201cverify\u201d it through a link. The link opens a convincing copy of the real login page. You type your password, and the attacker now has it.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"spear-phishing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Spear_phishing\"><\/span>Spear phishing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Spear phishing narrows the target. According to the same Canadian guidance, attackers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gc.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/ITSM.60.002-email-security-best-practices-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">research specific individuals or groups<\/a> to craft messages aimed at them. That research might be your job title, a vendor you work with or a project you posted about publicly. Because the message mentions things a stranger should not know, it feels credible.<\/p>\n<p>A realistic example: an accounts payable clerk receives an email that names a real supplier and a real purchase order, and asks for updated bank details. Nothing in it looks generic, which is exactly the point.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"whaling\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whaling\"><\/span>Whaling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Whaling is spear phishing aimed at the top. The U.S. Department of State <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/defending-against-phishing-attacks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">lists spoofing, spear phishing and whaling<\/a> as distinct forms of phishing: spoofing makes an email appear legitimate, spear phishing customizes the attack for one person, and whaling targets senior executives with high-risk requests.<\/p>\n<p>Executives are valuable targets because they hold broad access and can approve payments. They are also busy, which helps attackers who rely on urgency.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"other-phishing-channels-and-tricks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_phishing_channels_and_tricks\"><\/span>Other phishing channels and tricks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Phishing is not limited to the inbox. Smishing uses text messages and vishing uses phone calls, and both often follow up on an email. Clone phishing resends a legitimate message you already received, with a malicious link or attachment swapped in. Thread hijacking inserts a message into an existing conversation, usually after an account has already been compromised. Each of these works for the same reason: the message looks like something you were already expecting.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.babylovegrowth.ai\/blog-images\/organization-6456\/1793453576184_Four-phishing-methods-and-how-they-work.jpeg\" alt=\"Four phishing methods and how they work\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"business-email-compromise\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Business_email_compromise\"><\/span>Business email compromise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>BEC is phishing\u2019s more patient cousin. Instead of mass mailing, the attacker studies a company and then asks for something specific: a payment, a gift card purchase, a change of bank details or a copy of employee tax records.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/news\/How-to-protect-companies-from-business-email-compromise\/839380\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">TechTarget\u2019s guidance on protecting companies from BEC<\/a>, attackers may carry out reconnaissance before the attack to choose victims who hold high-level credentials and authority, or who have information about financial transactions and account details.<\/p>\n<p>BEC messages often contain no link and no attachment, so many filters see nothing wrong. The defense is process, not software alone:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Confirm any change of payment details by calling a number you already have on file, not one in the email.<\/li>\n<li>Require a second approver for transfers above a set amount.<\/li>\n<li>Treat \u201ckeep this confidential\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m in a meeting, just do it\u201d as reasons to slow down.<\/li>\n<li>Report the attempt even if you did not fall for it, so others are warned.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"email-spoofing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Email_spoofing\"><\/span>Email spoofing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Spoofing is the disguise that other attacks wear. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gc.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/ITSM.60.002-email-security-best-practices-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">explains that<\/a> threat actors manipulate the sender\u2019s details in an email header so the message looks as if it comes from a trusted source.<\/p>\n<p>Two habits help you catch it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Look past the display name.<\/strong> A message can show a familiar name while the underlying address belongs to someone else. On a phone, tap the sender name to reveal the full address.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the context.<\/strong> If your CEO suddenly writes from a personal address asking for gift cards, the formatting of the name does not matter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For organizations, the strongest defense against spoofing of their own domain is technical. The Australian Cyber Security Centre says that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gov.au\/business-government\/protecting-devices-systems\/hardening-systems-applications\/email-hardening\/how-to-combat-fake-emails\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">implementing SPF and DMARC<\/a> reduces the chance of a domain being used to support fake emails, and that using DMARC with DKIM signing adds further protection. DMARC also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gov.au\/business-government\/protecting-devices-systems\/hardening-systems-applications\/email-hardening\/how-to-combat-fake-emails\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">lets domain owners tell receiving mail servers<\/a> to allow, quarantine or reject messages that fail SPF and DKIM checks, and to collect statistics about emails falsely claiming to come from that domain.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"malware-ransomware-and-malicious-attachments\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Malware_ransomware_and_malicious_attachments\"><\/span>Malware, ransomware and malicious attachments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some emails do not ask you to type anything. They ask you to open something. Malware delivery covers viruses, worms, spyware and ransomware, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/news\/email-security\/837608\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">TechTarget notes<\/a>. Ransomware is the most disruptive of these because it encrypts files or entire systems, after which the attacker demands payment.<\/p>\n<p>Common disguises include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An invoice, shipping notice or resume attached as a document.<\/li>\n<li>A compressed archive that hides an executable file.<\/li>\n<li>A link to a \u201cshared document\u201d that prompts you to install something or enter your login.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Practical habits that help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do not open attachments you were not expecting, even from known senders, until you confirm with them another way.<\/li>\n<li>Keep your operating system, browser and mail apps updated.<\/li>\n<li>Keep offline or separate backups so that encrypted files can be restored without paying anyone.<\/li>\n<li>Use a business email filter that scans attachments and rewrites or checks links.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"man-in-the-middle-data-exfiltration-and-spam\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Man-in-the-middle_data_exfiltration_and_spam\"><\/span>Man-in-the-middle, data exfiltration and spam<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Three more types are less visible to ordinary users but matter to organizations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Man-in-the-middle attacks<\/strong> intercept and control communications between two parties. In email, that can mean reading or changing messages in transit, or quietly sitting in a mailbox that has been taken over. The practical risks are highest on untrusted networks and with accounts that lack multi-factor authentication.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Data exfiltration<\/strong> means stealing sensitive data from email systems. Mailboxes hold contracts, customer details, password reset links and years of attachments, so a single compromised account can expose a great deal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spam<\/strong> is bulk unwanted mail. It is often treated as a nuisance, but it is also the delivery route for many of the attacks above. A clean spam filter reduces the number of chances an attacker gets.<\/p>\n<p>The damage across all of these can be serious. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gc.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/ITSM.60.002-email-security-best-practices-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">points to<\/a> identity theft, disclosure of sensitive information, compromised systems, encrypted files, costly data breaches and legal repercussions.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.babylovegrowth.ai\/blog-images\/organization-6456\/1793453619802_Man-in-the-middle-data-exfiltration-and-spam.jpeg\" alt=\"Man-in-the-middle, data exfiltration and spam\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"warning-signs-that-an-email-is-an-attack\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Warning_signs_that_an_email_is_an_attack\"><\/span>Warning signs that an email is an attack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>CISA\u2019s guidance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/secure-our-world\/recognize-and-report-phishing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">recognizing and reporting phishing<\/a> lists the signals worth watching for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Urgent or emotionally charged language that pushes you to act now.<\/li>\n<li>Requests for personal or financial information.<\/li>\n<li>Shortened URLs from sources you do not trust.<\/li>\n<li>Email addresses or links that are slightly wrong.<\/li>\n<li>Links or attachments that seem suspicious or too good to be true.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One point deserves emphasis. Perfect spelling and grammar no longer suggest that a message is legitimate, because AI can produce clean text easily. Judge the request, not the polish.<\/p>\n<p>If a message might be real, CISA advises verifying it through the person\u2019s or company\u2019s official website or another contact method you already know. Do not click links or call phone numbers that appear in the message itself.<\/p>\n<p>A quick five-second check before you act:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Who is really sending this? Look at the full address.<\/li>\n<li>What are they asking me to do, and why now?<\/li>\n<li>Where does the link actually go? Hover on a computer or press and hold on a phone.<\/li>\n<li>Can I confirm this through a channel I already trust?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"perspective-why-the-password-is-the-real-target\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Perspective_why_the_password_is_the_real_target\"><\/span>Perspective: why the password is the real target<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Almost every email attack we see ends in the same place: a login. Phishing wants your password, BEC wants an account with payment authority, spoofing wants you to trust a fake sender, and ransomware often starts with stolen access. That is why we believe the most effective defense is to make a stolen password worth very little.<\/p>\n<p>In practice that means three habits working together. A password manager gives every account a unique, strong password, so one leaked credential does not unlock the rest. A password manager that fills credentials only on the correct site also gives you a useful tripwire: if it will not autofill, the page may not be what it claims to be. And passwordless and multi-factor authentication mean a phished password alone is not enough to get in.<\/p>\n<p>We design LogMeOnce around this idea, combining password management, passwordless MFA and dark web monitoring so that people and organizations can shrink the impact of a successful trick instead of hoping nobody ever falls for one. Training matters, and so does the tooling that backs people up when they are tired, rushed or simply human.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mike<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-defend-against-email-attacks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_defend_against_email_attacks\"><\/span>How to defend against email attacks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There is no single control that stops every type. Layering a few of them works far better.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"for-individuals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_individuals\"><\/span>For individuals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use unique passwords everywhere.<\/strong> A password manager makes this realistic. If one site is breached, the others stay safe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Turn on multi-factor authentication<\/strong> for email first, since email resets every other account.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pause on urgency.<\/strong> Real banks and employers can wait the two minutes it takes you to verify.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Go to the source.<\/strong> Type the address of the company yourself or use its official app instead of following a link.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Watch for leaked credentials.<\/strong> Dark web monitoring can alert you when your email address or password appears in exposed data, so you can change it quickly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"for-teams-and-organizations\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_teams_and_organizations\"><\/span>For teams and organizations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Authenticate your own domain<\/strong> with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, as the Australian guidance above recommends.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Filter inbound mail<\/strong> for malicious attachments, links and impersonation attempts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Run phishing simulations.<\/strong> Tilburg University, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tilburguniversity.edu\/about\/conduct-and-integrity\/privacy-and-security\/information-security\/phishing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">runs phishing simulations<\/a> on the view that people are the weakest link and need practice recognizing the different forms and responding correctly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Put payment controls in writing:<\/strong> call-back verification and dual approval for transfers and bank detail changes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Centralize access.<\/strong> Single sign-on and enforced MFA limit what one stolen password can reach. Our overview of <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/blog\/business\/7-cyber-threats-that-target-small-business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cyber threats that target small business<\/a> covers the wider picture beyond email.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Understand what weak credentials cost.<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/weak-password-cost-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">weak password cost report<\/a> is a useful place to start when making the case internally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"what-to-do-if-you-clicked-or-shared-information\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_do_if_you_clicked_or_shared_information\"><\/span>What to do if you clicked or shared information<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Speed matters more than embarrassment. Work through these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Disconnect<\/strong> the device from the network if you opened an attachment and something looks wrong.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Change the password<\/strong> for the affected account from a clean device, then change any other account that used the same password.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enable or reset MFA<\/strong> on the account, and sign out of all other sessions if the service allows it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tell your IT or security team<\/strong> right away if it is a work account. They can search for the same message in other inboxes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Contact your bank<\/strong> if you shared card or banking details, and report the message through your email provider\u2019s phishing option.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check whether your data has been exposed.<\/strong> Our <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/dark-web-scan-tool\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dark web scan tool<\/a> helps you see whether your information has surfaced in leaked data.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you may be a victim of identity theft, take it seriously and follow the guidance of the relevant authority in your country.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"protect-your-logins-with-logmeonce\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Protect_your_logins_with_LogMeOnce\"><\/span>Protect your logins with LogMeOnce<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Email attacks are built to get past human judgment. Our tools are designed to cover the moments when judgment slips.<\/p>\n<p>For individuals, our <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/password-manager\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">password manager<\/a> offers Professional at $2.50 per month, Ultimate at $3.25 per month and Family at $4.99 per month, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/pricing-and-comparison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pricing and comparison page<\/a> lists a free Premium plan at $0.00 per month, Dark Web Monitoring at $1.67 per month and Family Dark Web Monitoring at $3.34 per month. For organizations, <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/business-pricing-and-comparison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business plans<\/a> include Teams at $4.00 per month per user and Business at $7.99 per month per user, with Enterprise available on request.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/csuxjmfbwmkxiegfpljm.supabase.co\/storage\/v1\/object\/public\/blog-images\/organization-6456\/1760417791460_logmeonce.jpg\" alt=\"Logmeonce\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p>If you want to remove the password from the equation altogether, see our <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/passwordless-mfa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passwordless MFA<\/a> option, or explore the full range on our <a href=\"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resources page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"what-are-the-most-common-types-of-email-attacks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_most_common_types_of_email_attacks\"><\/span>What are the most common types of email attacks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Phishing is the most common, along with its targeted forms: spear phishing and whaling. Business email compromise, spoofing, malware and ransomware delivery, and spam complete the usual list. Most attacks combine several of these, for example a spoofed sender delivering a phishing link.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spear-phishing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_difference_between_phishing_and_spear_phishing\"><\/span>What is the difference between phishing and spear phishing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Phishing is sent to many people with a generic lure. Spear phishing is customized for a specific person or group using researched details such as their role, colleagues or vendors. That personalization makes it harder to spot and more likely to succeed.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-is-business-email-compromise-different-from-regular-phishing\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_is_business_email_compromise_different_from_regular_phishing\"><\/span>How is business email compromise different from regular phishing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Regular phishing usually tries to steal a login or card details. BEC aims to deceive someone into sending money or sharing sensitive information, often with no link or attachment at all. Attackers frequently research their targets first, so the request looks routine.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-can-i-tell-if-an-email-is-a-phishing-attack\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_I_tell_if_an_email_is_a_phishing_attack\"><\/span>How can I tell if an email is a phishing attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Look for urgent or emotional language, requests for personal or financial data, mismatched addresses or links, shortened URLs and offers that seem too good to be true. Do not rely on spelling mistakes, since AI-written text can be flawless. Verify through the company\u2019s official website or a contact method you already have.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"can-a-password-manager-help-against-email-attacks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_password_manager_help_against_email_attacks\"><\/span>Can a password manager help against email attacks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It can reduce the damage. Unique passwords stop one stolen credential from opening other accounts, and autofill that only works on the correct site can warn you when a page is a fake. Pair it with multi-factor authentication for the strongest protection.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sources\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources\"><\/span>Sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/news\/email-security\/837608\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Email security | TechTarget<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gc.ca\/sites\/default\/files\/ITSM.60.002-email-security-best-practices-en.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Email security best practices | Canadian Centre for Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/defending-against-phishing-attacks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Defending Against Phishing Attacks | U.S. Department of State<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/news\/How-to-protect-companies-from-business-email-compromise\/839380\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">How to protect companies from business email compromise | TechTarget<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/secure-our-world\/recognize-and-report-phishing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Recognize and Report Phishing | CISA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyber.gov.au\/business-government\/protecting-devices-systems\/hardening-systems-applications\/email-hardening\/how-to-combat-fake-emails\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">How to combat fake emails | Cyber.gov.au<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tilburguniversity.edu\/about\/conduct-and-integrity\/privacy-and-security\/information-security\/phishing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Recognize a phishing e-mail | Tilburg University<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the main types of email attacks, from phishing and BEC to spoofing and ransomware, with warning signs and practical defenses for people and teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":248463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-248461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logmeonce"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248462,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248461\/revisions\/248462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/logmeonce.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}