{"id":19469,"date":"2021-12-28T08:02:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T08:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=19469"},"modified":"2023-04-27T15:18:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T15:18:58","slug":"why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to <\/span>email security threats<\/b><\/a>, one of the most common (and most underestimated) forms of attack is email phishing. Particularly for companies, phishing attacks can be critical when it comes to spilling and stealing private data, personal information, and company files. Spear phishing or other targeted email attacks have even more impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most commonly known type of phishing is the broadest one: deception phishing. This is the \u201cspray-and-pray\u201d approach that many are familiar with. Fake emails, spoof company names and logos, and a message hoping to catch you off guard and fool you. However, there\u2019s another type of phishing email that\u2019s far more dangerous\u2013targeted <\/span>email attacks<\/b> AKA spear phishing.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Spear Phishing Attack?<\/b><\/h2>\n

So, <\/span>what is a spear phishing attack <\/b>anyway? It\u2019s a targeted <\/span>email attack<\/b> aimed directly at well-researched individuals, usually from a company. The goal of these attacks is to fool or manipulate the target into handing over company information, files, or other valuable data. These attacks require a lot more work on the end of the attacker, but they\u2019re often worth it due to how much more effective they tend to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Researched targets are a lot easier to manipulate. Attackers are much more likely to get an employee\u2019s attention with something personal and directly targeted at them than a generic spam email<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once sufficient research is done, attackers can essentially hold an employee hostage via data. They might either threaten to misuse it or fool the victim into thinking they have more information than they really do. In either scenario, it\u2019s a frightening situation for most individuals. That panic and fear are often how these attacks find success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2017, in an infamous spear phishing attack, Facebook and Google employees were tricked by Lithuanian scammers in a series of extremely targeted emails. Overall, they cost the tech giants about 100 million USD. <\/span><\/p>\n

While this is one of the more severe examples, countless companies and mega-corporations alike are targeted by intense email scams. No one is invincible from these attempts, and it goes to show what could be at stake for companies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reconnaissance: Preliminary Target Research<\/b><\/h2>\n

For hackers and phishers, no piece of information is insignificant. Once their sights are set, they\u2019ll begin spinning a web of data about their target. They\u2019ll typically start with readily-available public information – a company profile, full name, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then, they\u2019ll start combing through their target\u2019s social media, both new and old. Cyber attackers also look into their targets\u2019 associated activity and history to see what clues they may have unknowingly left behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

Piece by piece, they\u2019ll follow a trail back as far as need be to amass enough data. Unfortunately, since so much of our lives are recorded on the internet, most hackers have ample information to target us without much problem. All they need to do is dig and investigate, and eventually, they\u2019ll land their hook.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why preventing such attacks from the very first stage is nigh-impossible. The research phase can stay active for as long as necessary, without any knowledge of the targeted victim or their associated company. It\u2019s only when the attack begins that they\u2019re suddenly made aware.<\/span><\/p>\n

Technical Effectiveness<\/b><\/h2>\n

Simple mail transfer protocol (or SMTP for short) was never built to scan and detect malicious messages. It\u2019s not made for security: it\u2019s purely functional. Your brand and domain can be impersonated by anyone who\u2019s willing to put in the effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

This leaves you vulnerable to all <\/span>types of email attacks<\/b>. The only way to defend against such malicious cyber assaults is by using email protection. Think encryption, secure email gateways<\/a>, and security protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you place SPF and DKIM configurations in your DNS and start aiming for full <\/span>DMARC compliance<\/span><\/a>, your email recipients start getting emails that can be trusted. If your domain doesn\u2019t have these protocols configured, there\u2019s nothing standing between phishing and spoofing emails, and your clients.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Phishing, spoofing, and other <\/span>types of attacks<\/b> that include compromising your domain and company reputation are rendered useless. Attackers won\u2019t even think of targeting your company employees once they see proper protocol implementation in the preliminary research stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exploiting the Human Factor<\/b><\/h3>\n

Targeted email attacks work due to one very specific flaw in the workplace: We\u2019re all human. No matter how careful and how trained your employees are, they\u2019re bound to miss something. It\u2019s that mild lapse in judgment that attackers use to get their foot in the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Targeted attacks like spear phishing belong to the category of cybercrime called <\/span>social engineering<\/b>, which exploits individuals, their vulnerabilities, and fears of the unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of these <\/span>email attacks<\/b> won\u2019t have an overly-obvious domain name and come with a hundred spelling errors<\/a>. They\u2019re almost indistinguishable from genuine emails unless you spend an hour analyzing every word.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we can\u2019t just rely on our common sense to fend off such email breach attempts. The effectiveness of a targeted attack matters too. Hence, using a protection protocol such as DMARC isn\u2019t just a wise choice, it\u2019s a necessity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is the DMARC Reject Policy so Efficient Against Targeted Attacks?<\/b><\/h2>\n

DMARC\u2019s reject policy is extremely effective due to its authentication system. Only authenticated emails from trusted domains are allowed to flow freely. Untrusted domains won\u2019t reach the target inboxes. This discourages the majority of hackers from even trying an attack\u2014there\u2019s no way to break through.<\/span><\/p>\n

But DMARC doesn\u2019t just magically work. Achieving full compliance (reject policy) is a process that can last weeks or months, depending on the number of sources you have up. So how does DMARC judge if the source is genuine or not?<\/span><\/p>\n

It combines authentication and alignment from SPF and DKIM protocols and starts monitoring your email infrastructure. It also gives you aggregate reports<\/a> where you can see your \u201cCompliant\u201d and \u201cNon-compliant\u201d sources. From there, you can continue fixing SPF and DKIM for each source, deciding which ones can send emails on your behalf and which shouldn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

Achieving DMARC Reject Protocol isn\u2019t a One-Click and One-Time Solution<\/b><\/h2>\n

While DMARC is a powerful tool that can give you a great level of protection from malicious emails, you shouldn\u2019t be ready to put it at full throttle from the very start. If you do, your recipients end up not receiving emails from you at all. Work toward compliance gradually. This way, you\u2019ll avoid rejecting genuine emails.<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you done when you reach the DMARC reject policy AKA full compliance? Yes, for now. Still, there\u2019s a caveat you need to consider. Your email infrastructure isn\u2019t set in stone. It needs periodic maintenance, as sources change. <\/span><\/p>\n

You need to stay on top of the emails sent from your domain even after you reach \u201cp=reject.\u201d That\u2019s why EasyDMARC users continue getting DMARC reports<\/a> even when they reach full compliance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n

Spear phishing and other targeted attacks are serious issues for people that trust your organization and those who work there. Nobody likes to fall victim to a targeted cyberattack. They\u2019re not only prevalent but also very efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n

Businesses have the means to guard their clients and employees against these types of email attacks. They just need to be more vigilant about the employed security measures and improve them all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to email security threats, one …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":19470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[204,290,199,293,289],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-cyberattacks-cyberthreats","category-cybersecurity","category-phishing","category-social-engineering"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop? | EasyDMARC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EasyDMARC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasyDMARC\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"910\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hasmik Khachunts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@easydmarc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@easydmarc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hasmik Khachunts\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hasmik Khachunts\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1ee4f162a98bccc5ff8b6fefdfaf245c\"},\"headline\":\"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1259,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14.12_004-5.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\",\"Cyberattacks and Cyberthreats\",\"Cybersecurity\",\"Phishing\",\"Social Engineering\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop? | EasyDMARC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14.12_004-5.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14.12_004-5.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/14.12_004-5.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":910,\"caption\":\"14.12 004 5\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Cybersecurity\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/cybersecurity\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Cyberattacks and Cyberthreats\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/cybersecurity\\\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"Social Engineering\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/cybersecurity\\\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\\\/social-engineering\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"Phishing\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/blog\\\/cybersecurity\\\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\\\/social-engineering\\\/phishing\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":7,\"name\":\"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"EasyDMARC\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"EasyDMARC\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/img\\\/logo.png\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/EasyDMARC\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/easydmarc\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/easydmarc\\\/mycompany\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1ee4f162a98bccc5ff8b6fefdfaf245c\",\"name\":\"Hasmik Khachunts\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Hasmik Khachunts\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/easydmarc.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/hasmik\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop? | EasyDMARC","description":"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?","og_description":"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.","og_url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/","og_site_name":"EasyDMARC","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasyDMARC\/","article_published_time":"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":910,"url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Hasmik Khachunts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@easydmarc","twitter_site":"@easydmarc","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Hasmik Khachunts","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/"},"author":{"name":"Hasmik Khachunts","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ee4f162a98bccc5ff8b6fefdfaf245c"},"headline":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?","datePublished":"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/"},"wordCount":1259,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","articleSection":["Blog","Cyberattacks and Cyberthreats","Cybersecurity","Phishing","Social Engineering"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/","url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/","name":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop? | EasyDMARC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","datePublished":"2021-12-28T08:02:22+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-27T15:18:58+00:00","description":"What is a spear phishing attack? This targeted cyberattack starts with victim research and focuses on a few key people. Read more below.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","width":1440,"height":910,"caption":"14.12 004 5"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/why-are-targeted-email-attacks-so-difficult-to-stop\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Cybersecurity","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/cybersecurity\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Cyberattacks and Cyberthreats","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/cybersecurity\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"Social Engineering","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/cybersecurity\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\/social-engineering\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"Phishing","item":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/cybersecurity\/cyberattacks-cyberthreats\/social-engineering\/phishing\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":7,"name":"Why are Targeted Email Attacks so Difficult to Stop?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/","name":"EasyDMARC","description":"Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/#organization","name":"EasyDMARC","url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/img\/logo.png"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasyDMARC\/","https:\/\/x.com\/easydmarc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/easydmarc\/mycompany\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ee4f162a98bccc5ff8b6fefdfaf245c","name":"Hasmik Khachunts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/556e30ecef3fde7f1400ab37fa210642b14cd1a6cf57ae3d669996eb5324fc9e?s=96&r=g","caption":"Hasmik Khachunts"},"url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/author\/hasmik\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14.12_004-5.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}