New threats in your inbox: Precision Validated Phishing and how to protect your company
People as a security vulnerability – more than just an IT problem
In the digital age, threats are no longer limited to the real world. Phishing attacks are now one of the biggest risks for businesses and individuals. The term ‘phishing’ is familiar to almost everyone today, yet the potential danger is often underestimated. Human behaviour – such as carelessness, recklessness or excessive trust – often makes it easy for cybercriminals to circumvent their own protective measures. Even warnings on social media or in group chats are often of limited help.
A common misconception is that if you recognise phishing, you are automatically protected against it. In reality, attackers are constantly developing new methods to circumvent the attention or savvy of their victims. While companies are strengthening their employees' security awareness and technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, attackers are not standing still and are constantly adapting their tactics.
Phishing: well known, but still dangerous
Phishing is a tried-and-tested method of fraud used by criminals to obtain access data or personal information. They use fake emails, messages in instant messengers or text messages. These messages look deceptively genuine, often even flawless and professionally written – thanks to AI-supported tools.
Nevertheless, classic methods such as sending phishing emails en masse are becoming increasingly ineffective because recipients are becoming more sensitive and warnings are spreading more quickly. Over time, however, a new variant is gaining momentum that is much more difficult to detect: precision validated phishing.
Unlike conventional attacks, which rely on quantity rather than quality, precision validated phishing is more targeted and efficient – with serious consequences for every company.
Precision validated phishing: the silent revolution in cybercrime
How precision validated phishing works
This new attack method differs significantly from classic phishing attempts. Instead of sending messages at random, attackers gather specific information about the potential victim in advance. They use a wide variety of sources, from data leaks and social media profiles to purchased address lists and social engineering.
The key feature is that before the actual phishing page is displayed, the system checks in real time whether the user's email address belongs to a predefined target list. Only if this is the case does the fraudulent website appear. Otherwise, the user receives a harmless redirect or error message. This virtually invisible selection makes it difficult to detect the attack and ensures that security teams are alerted much less frequently. Only companies or individuals with a high ‘attack value’ are targeted – minimising collateral damage and maximising success.
Challenges for companies and security teams
Precision Validated attacks pose an enormous challenge for IT security professionals. Typical detection mechanisms – such as pattern recognition in spam filters, firewalls or security information and event management systems (SIEM) – are largely ineffective here. Massive numbers of identical messages? None. Conspicuous errors? Not a trace. Clusters of suspicious spam emails? No longer there.
The result: such attacks occur individually and in a targeted manner and rarely show up in standard security evaluations. Even after a successful attack, it is difficult for forensic experts to reconstruct the exact origin or sequence of events. Many companies therefore continue to underestimate the risk of targeted phishing attacks and rely on standard measures that are no longer sufficient.
Protection against modern phishing attacks: what is essential now
Awareness is key – new concepts for security awareness
Continuous employee awareness is the basis of an effective protection concept. However, blanket training and simply pointing out obvious phishing characteristics are no longer sufficient. Realistic, advanced training is needed that also simulates new attack methods such as precision validated phishing – tailored to the specific industry and employee group.
The aim should be to raise awareness that attacks today no longer come with obvious mistakes or poor wording. Informative phishing simulations and regular information campaigns show employees how to deal with potential threats in their everyday work and respond confidently.
Modern technology and clear processes: the next lines of defence
At the technical level, a classic spam filter is no longer sufficient today. It is advisable to rely on new security solutions that use behavioural analysis to detect suspicious activities and raise the alarm at an early stage. Another component can be the implementation of the zero trust principle: every access within the IT landscape is checked in advance – there is no longer any blanket trust.
In addition, incident management processes must be clearly defined: who is responsible, how are incidents reported, who communicates externally? Transparent processes and a well-rehearsed procedure are crucial when a cyber incident actually occurs.
Equally important is regular monitoring of the current threat landscape so that you can respond quickly to new developments. Attackers never sleep – and your defence strategies should always be up to date.
Conclusion: Prevention is the best protection – act now!
Combined defence against targeted phishing attacks
With precision validated phishing, phishing has evolved into a targeted and highly dangerous method of attack – classic protection mechanisms are no longer reliable. To arm your company against these complex threats, you need a combination of modern technology, ongoing employee awareness and consistent processes for emergencies.
This significantly improves the security of your data and greatly reduces the risk of costly and image-damaging attacks.
Get professional support
Would you like to optimally protect your company against current phishing threats or prepare your employees for new challenges? Feel free to contact us for a personal consultation. We will help you develop and implement tailor-made security strategies – so that your company remains on the safe side!