Phishing is a type of cyberattack where an attacker impersonates a trusted entity (a bank, an exchange, a coworker) to trick the target into revealing sensitive information like login credentials, private keys, or financial details.
The most common form is email phishing: you receive a message that looks like it is from a service you use, warning of suspicious activity or urging you to verify your account. The email contains a link to a fake website that looks identical to the real one. When you enter your credentials, they go straight to the attacker.
Phishing has evolved far beyond simple emails. Spear phishing targets specific individuals using personal details to make the message more convincing. Smishing uses SMS text messages. Vishing uses phone calls. In the crypto world, phishing attacks often target wallet seed phrases or trick users into approving malicious smart contract transactions that drain their wallets.
Modern phishing sites can be surprisingly sophisticated, complete with valid SSL certificates (the lock icon in your browser), cloned UI elements, and domains that look almost identical to the real thing (like using "rn" to mimic "m"). The best defense combines technical measures (email filtering, browser warnings) with user awareness.
Phishing remains the number one initial attack vector in data breaches. It exploits human psychology rather than software flaws, which makes it effective regardless of how strong your technical defenses are. In crypto, a single successful phish can result in irreversible loss of funds, since blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. Two-factor authentication significantly reduces the risk.
The Cyber Threats panel on the TerminalFeed dashboard tracks active malware URLs and indicators of compromise from URLhaus and ThreatFox, many of which are tied to phishing campaigns. The panel surfaces newly reported malicious domains in real time.