GuidePoint Security’s white paper on Countering the Threat of Spear-Phishing outlines how spear-phishing attacks are highly targeted and personalized cyberattacks, focusing on specific individuals or groups within an organization. Unlike mass phishing, spear-phishing uses detailed information gathered from public sources to craft convincing messages that create urgency or fear, often spoofing legitimate email addresses. The attack follows four phases: pre-attack (victim identification), initial attack (malicious email creation and distribution), user action (victim engagement), and post-attack (attacker monetization or expansion). The paper emphasizes that while technical controls are important, user awareness and proper reporting are critical defenses.

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