Phishing attacks are a common scheme from fraudsters in which they send out spoofed messages to victims. Sometimes they will lie about a late package, a prize won, or a big job opportunity. Other times, fraudsters will give more serious lies, like bank account or social security issues, to plant fear in their victims.

A common method for fraudsters to find victims is through email; they will send out massive amounts of prepared messages to millions of people, waiting for a small few to fall for the scheme. Recently, there has been a surge in phishing attacks that have been targeting Microsoft 365 users.

What is a Phishing Attack?

A phishing attack is a form of fraud, in which cybercriminals masquerade as a trusted entity. They can pose as a bank, colleague, or even a member of the victim’s business, to steal sensitive data. The end goal is steal information, gain unauthorized access to the victim’s accounts, or install malware to infect the victim’s device.

Phishing attacks are not new. However, Microsoft stated that there has been a significant rise in attacks since May 2025. With new tools in AI, cybercriminals can make their messages look more convincing and harder to identify as a fake.

These phishing emails can even look like they are from Microsoft themselves! Spoofing attacks have affected organizations that have custom configured a complex routing scenario in the Microsoft Mail Exchange (EX). This enables the messages to avoid detection of being fake, and pass off as authentic in Office 365.

Examples of Phishing Attacks

Microsoft Threat Intelligence issued a warning to Microsoft users about these attacks. Most often, the attacks are themed around phony messages from HR or IT departments, in an attempt to steal login credentials.

Some phishing messages may include fake documents to be signed, or a password update required. A typical link included in these messages will direct the victim to a fake login portal so the attacks can steal their account credentials. Other times, scammers may include fake invoices claiming to be from the company’s CEO, requesting that the victim pay huge amounts of money.

The Aftermath of an Attack

Failure to authenticate these messages leads to dire consequences.

Companies compromised through phishing attacks can suffer from data theft or business email compromise. The cybercriminals can even demand ransom, which can lead to financial loss.

Phishing attacks often play on the emotions of the victim; the scammers create a sense of urgency or fear to push their victims to take immediate action. Human error is why phishing attacks are such an effective and common cyber threat.

With that said, a company that has been effected can also find trust between employees, or even with customers and clients, compromised.

Tips on Preventing a Phishing Attack

Microsoft suggests that anyone who uses MX servers should configure their servers to point directly to Office 365 servers. This way, users are not vulnerable to domain spoofing.

Companies are recommended to apply strict domain-based message authentication. DMARC rules can help prevent domain spoofing, and ensure any third-party services linked to MX are correctly configured.

Multi-factor authentication is a helpful login tool, and companies should also educate their staff on the matter. Employees should know how to spot the red flags of a phishing message and what to do to prevent account takeover.

For more information, feel free to read the full article from Infosecurity Magazine

Link: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/phishing-exploits-misconfigured/

About Advanced Network Consulting

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Hoping to improve the efficiency of your computer? Need to strengthen the cybersecurity of your device? We offer a complimentary one-hour onsite evaluation, and our network and server solutions will ensure that your business continues to be operational.

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