Trends in Phishing Attacks: Suggestions for Future Research

One of the most common and costly forms of deception and fraud online is phishing. Due to the ramifications of successful phishing attacks, security experts and researchers seek to better understand this phenomenon. Prior phishing research has addressed the “bait” and “hook” components of phishing attacks, the human-computer interaction that takes place as users judge the veracity of phishing emails and websites, and the development of technologies that can aid users in identifying and rejecting these attacks. Despite the extant research on this topic, phishing attacks continue to be successful as tactics evolve, rendering existing research less relevant. Although numerous tools have been created to aid people in recognizing phishing attacks, users disregard the recommendations of these tools. This paper summarizes the core of phishing research, provides an update on trending attack methods, and proposes future research addressing computer credibility in a phishing context. Proudfoot et al. Comparing Current Phishing Attacks to Prior Research Trends in Phishing Attacks: Suggestions for Future Research Research in Progress