Fluctuations in consecutive quarterly reports demonstrates that organizations should be worried that their cyber defenses may not be strong enough to stop phishing attacks.
I wrote an article back in April of last year about how 1 in 8 emails make it to a user’s Inbox. That number has remained relatively consistent — so much that even the Threat Insights Report for Q1 2024 from HP Wolf Security shows that stat is still accurate.
But then there’s the Threat Insights Report for Q4 2023. In that report, the percentage of emails getting to the inbox past security solutions was just enough to update the stat to approximately 1 in 7.
I find that so significant, as it indicates that threat actors, phishing attack toolkit developers, and those using AI-based tools are improving their efforts faster than defenses can keep up.
And, yes, the stat went back to the equivalent of 1 in 8 last quarter, but the very fact that we saw 1 in 7 at all means that it’s all a matter of focus for the cybercriminal.
Lastly, don't take refuge in a “1 in 8 email” stat, which is pretty terrifying in its own right. Organizations should not simply rely on security solutions to stop attacks, but recognize that attacks will get to the endpoint where it’s up to users to step in and play a role in protecting the organization. This is something taught and reinforced through continual new-school security awareness training.
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