Zero trust security vendor Zscaler recently released a report noting a 50% worldwide increase in phishing attacks. The company believes that the 2022 increase compared to 2021 was likely driven partly by phishing kits and new AI tools that are now accessible to threat actors. AI tools can help threat actors craft convincing phishing messages that are devoid of some of the typical flags of a phishing attempt. According to the report, 65% of phishing attacks worldwide occurred in the US, and the education sector experienced a 576% increase.

Additionally, the finance sector experienced a significant increase in phishing attacks. The report was published this week and highlights recent trends in phishing. Attackers continue to rely on stolen credentials to leverage attacks but have integrated new techniques with AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Read More: Phishing Attacks Surge as Threat Actors Leverage New AI Tools