Phishing Emails Are Getting Smarter: Here's How to Outsmart Them

Phishing is no longer just an IT problem, it’s an organizational risk that demands constant vigilance and knowledge sharing. Phishing emails remain one of the most persistent and damaging attack vectors faced by organizations globally. Disguised as legitimate communications—ranging from invoices and HR updates to alerts from senior leadership, these malicious messages aim to manipulate unsuspecting recipients into compromising sensitive data or systems.

A Phishing Survival Guide

“Phishing attacks are evolving faster than ever, but with the right processes, vigilance, and user awareness and trainings, such as  simulations, organizations can transform these threats into opportunities for education and improvement. At 5Tattva, we strive to equip every SOC analyst with not just tools, but the mindset of a proactive defender," says Manpreet Singh, Co-Founder & Principal Consultant at 5Tattva and Chief Revenue Officer of Zeroday Ops.

Looks Safe. Sounds Urgent. Totally Fake. Don’t Fall for It

Manpreet offers a structured and methodical approach to spotting suspicious emails before they escalate into full-fledged security incidents.

The first line of defense lies in analyzing the sender’s identity:  Phishing emails often use spoofed or misleading display names, masking the true nature of the sender. That “CEO” email? Might actually be a scammer named Rahul using a burner Gmail. A closer look at the full email address and domain can reveal subtle red flags—such as slight misspellings (like @paypa1.com instead of @paypal.com) or newly registered domains. A quick background check on the domain’s age and legitimacy, paired with a logical assessment of whether the sender would realistically be contacting you, can provide early warnings.

Subject lines are another telltale sign: Phishing attempts frequently use emotionally charged or urgent phrases like “URGENT: Account Locked!” or “Payroll Issue - Immediate Action Required” or “You won a $500 gift card.” The goal is to trigger panic or curiosity, rushing the recipient into acting without due diligence. You should remain wary of anything that feels manipulative, especially if it's unexpected or overly dramatic.

Once inside the email, the body often reveals even more: Links should always be hovered over—never clicked—so analysts can inspect the real destination URL. Suspicious attachments, particularly ZIP files or Microsoft Word documents, should be examined in isolated environments to avoid triggering potential malware. Language inconsistencies, robotic phrasing, or uncharacteristic tone shifts from known contacts can all indicate a phish in action.

To dig deeper, you should examine the email headers and routing information: This technical metadata provides insight into where the email originated and the path it traveled. You should ensure that the "From," "Reply-To," and "Return-Path" fields align. If they don’t—or if the sender claims to be local but the IP address originates from a foreign country—it’s a red flag. For example, if the sender claims to be your HR department but the reply address is scammyboy@fraudmail.com, something’s up. Tracking the email’s “Received” lines can also help identify unusual or suspicious mail flow patterns.

Email authentication protocols add another critical layer of verification: SPF (Sender Policy Framework) checks whether a mail server is authorized to send on behalf of a domain, while DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) confirms that the email hasn't been tampered with in transit. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on both, directing email servers on how to handle failures and providing reports to domain owners. Meanwhile, BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification), though not a security protocol, adds brand trust by displaying a verified logo beside authenticated emails.

Once a phishing attempt is confirmed, swift action is vital: You should document all indicators of compromise (IOCs), alert relevant stakeholders, remove the email from inboxes, and block the malicious domain. An internal audit should follow to assess if any users interacted with the message. Most importantly, the incident should be transformed into a teachable moment for the broader organization.