Introduction
Phishing emails are now one of the most dangerous and common methods of attack in cybercrime. Attackers pose as trustworthy senders in order to deceive recipients, steal access data, or inject malware. With increasingly professional—and increasingly AI-supported—campaigns, cybercriminals are able to deceive even experienced employees.
Such attacks are particularly critical in a corporate environment: a single fraudulent email can cause downtime, data leaks, or even a complete system shutdown. It is therefore important that employees learn to recognize phishing emails and deal with suspicious messages safely. With trained teams, clear processes, and a strong security culture, the risk can be significantly reduced—AXSOS supports companies in this endeavor with security awareness training and comprehensive cybersecurity concepts.
What is phishing?
Phishing refers to a type of fraud in which attackers use fake emails, websites, or messages (e.g., text messages, instant messages) to obtain confidential information or spread malware. The goal is almost always a phishing attack that steals login credentials, payment information, or internal information.
Important variants:
- Spear phishing: targeted attacks on individuals, often executives or employees with privileged rights.
- CEO fraud: fake emails sent in the name of senior management to force transfers or the disclosure of information.
- Smishing: Phishing via text message, often under the guise of parcel services or banks.
Regardless of the variant, the following applies: The better you are at recognizing phishing emails, the lower the risk for your company.
Typical characteristics of phishing emails
Below are the most important warning signs to help you quickly identify the characteristics of phishing emails. Any of these red flags are a reason to be particularly cautious.
Suspicious sender address
Attackers often imitate well-known companies, but use slightly altered domains, for example with swapped letters or number/letter tricks (e.g., "micros0ft.com" instead of "microsoft.com").
Tip: Check the email address carefully, especially everything after the @ sign.
Impersonal or unusual form of address
If a provider usually uses personalized greetings, generic phrases such as "Dear customer" are a warning sign. A missing salutation can also indicate phishing.
Urgent need for action and threats
Phrases such as "Your account will be blocked, " "Final warning," or "Immediate action required" are designed to prevent recipients from having time to think. Urgency is one of the most common phishing tactics.
Unexpected attachments and links
Phishing emails often contain:
- Alleged invoices or reminders in the attachment
- ZIP or PDF files with hidden malware
- Links to deceptively genuine fake login pages
Tip: Use mouseover to check hidden URLs—and only open attachments if the reason for sending them and the sender are undoubtedly trustworthy.
Spelling and grammar errors, unfamiliar layout
Many phishing emails originate from automated translations or poorly imitated templates. Pay attention to:
- atypical grammar
- unusual formatting
- incorrectly placed logos
- Mixtures of German and English
Request for sensitive data
Reputable companies never ask for passwords, PINs, TANs, or credit card details via email. Any request of this kind is a clear warning sign.
Recognizing phishing emails in everyday business life
Phishing occurs in many real-life situations. Common examples:
- Alleged emails from cloud providers (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) requesting a password change
- supposed package notifications that lead to fraudulent tracking sites
- Fake invoices from supposed service providers
- CEO fraud: "Please transfer the money urgently... I'm in a meeting right now."
- IT support scams that ask for login details
In case of suspicion, employees should always:
- do not click on anything
- Do not enter any sensitive data.
- forward the suspicious email to the IT department
- stay calm and don't react rashly
A trained workforce recognizes such traps early on—a key goal of any effective security awareness training against phishing.
Concrete steps to take if you suspect phishing
A clearly structured process helps to minimize risks:
- Do not reply to the email
Do not interact with it, so as not to provide attackers with confirmation of the address. - Do not open any attachments or click on any links
Even a quick click can trigger malware or intercept data. - Report phishing
Forward to the IT department ("Report phishing") or to those responsible for security. - Act immediately on clicks or data entry
- Change passwords immediately
- have affected accounts blocked
- Report incident formally
- Inform the incident response team if necessary
Damage can be significantly limited by implementing clear processes for dealing with phishing emails.
Prevention: How to protect your company from phishing
Effective phishing protection is based on several pillars.
Technical measures
- Use modern email security solutions and spam filters
- Implement DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for sender authentication
- Regular updates to close known vulnerabilities
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Organizational measures
- Clear reporting procedures for suspicious emails
- Processes for approvals and payments (e.g., dual control principle)
- clear guidelines for access and password management
Security Awareness Training
Employees are the first line of defense. Through regular training, teams learn to reliably recognize phishing emails, assess risks, and respond appropriately.
Axsos supports companies in this regard by:
- practical awareness training
- realistic phishing simulations
- Training modules for employees and managers
- holistic approaches to cybersecurity
Role of Axsos in phishing protection
Axsos helps companies to reduce phishing risks in the long term. This includes:
- Security awareness training specifically focused on recognizing and avoiding phishing
- Introduction and operation of modern email security solutions
- Establishment of efficient reporting and response processes
- Strategic consulting to strengthen the overall IT security architecture
Companies looking to improve their email security and awareness strategy can engage Axsos as a skilled partner for cybersecurity, training, and technical safeguards.
Review your current security measures—Axsos is happy to help you make your company more resilient to phishing attacks.
Conclusion
Phishing emails are one of the biggest risks for companies—and they are becoming increasingly sophisticated. However, with clear identifying features, trained employees, and a well-thought-out security strategy, attacks can be detected early and damage avoided.
Companies that recognize phishing emails benefit in several ways: they protect their systems, their sensitive data, and their reputation. Axsos supports them with awareness training, email security, and comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to provide companies with the best possible protection against fraudulent emails.
Awareness Check: How to recognize phishing
Test your knowledge—would you recognize these phishing traps?
This short self-test will help you become more aware of typical scam emails. Read each scenario and consider how you would respond. You will find the answer directly below.
1. Question: Would you click on this link?
Scenario:
You receive an email purportedly from your bank with the subject line: "Urgent: Your account will be blocked in 24 hours." The text asks you to confirm your login details immediately by clicking a button.
Resolution:
This scenario contains several typical phishing characteristics:
- Pressure is building ("locked in 24 hours").
- The request comes unexpectedly.
- Logging in via an email link is a classic phishing tactic.
Instead, you should never log in via the button. Go to the bank's official website directly via your browser or contact your bank by phone using a known number.
2. Question: Is this sender address trustworthy?
Scenario:
An email "from Microsoft" arrives from the address: security-update@micros0ft-support.com
Resolution:
The domain is fake:
- The number 0 replaces the letter o.
- The domain extension seems unusual and is not typical for Microsoft.
As soon as an address looks suspicious or slightly altered, you should be particularly cautious—this is often a clear sign of phishing.
3. Question: Is it acceptable for a reputable organization to request such information via email?
Scenario:
You are asked to send your login details, PIN, TAN, or credit card details in a reply email.
Resolution:
Reputable organizations never request such sensitive data by email.
Such a request is a clear warning sign of phishing, and you should not respond under any circumstances.
4. Question: How do you deal with unexpected attachments?
Scenario:
You receive an unsolicited "invoice" as a ZIP file from an unknown sender.
Resolution:
Unexpected attachments—especially ZIP archives or Office files with macros—pose a high risk. They may contain malware and should never be opened without being checked by IT or security solutions. When in doubt: don't open them and report any suspicious activity.
5. Question: What do you do when you are unsure?
Resolution:
If you are unsure, always remember:
- Do not click,
- do not reply,
- Do not enter any data.
Forward the suspicious email to your IT or security department.
It's better to ask once too often than to act rashly.
Regular practice—for example, through phishing simulations as part of professional security awareness training —helps you recognize warning signs more and more quickly.
If you answered several of these questions incorrectly or were unsure, this is a sign that further training would be beneficial—for example, as part of Axsos' structured security awareness programs.