KnowBe4, a leading provider of cybersecurity risk management solutions, recently unveiled its Phishing Threat Trend Report, detailing key trends, new data, and threat intelligence insights surrounding phishing threats. Based on data generated by KnowBe4 Defend, the report highlights the growing threat of ransomware and explores how cybercriminals are using sophisticated tactics to bypass native security and secure email gateways (SEGs).
Key findings include:
- Between September 15, 2024 and February 14, 2025 there was a 17.3 percent increase in phishing emails compared to the previous six months.
- 82.6 percent of all phishing emails analyzed exhibited some use of AI.
- The report observes a 22.6 percent increase in ransomware payloads.
- The phishing hyperlink, malware and social engineering payloads getting through traditional detection have surged, with phishing hyperlinks increasing by 36.8 percent, malware by 20 percent, and social engineering tactics by 14.2 percent compared to the previous six months.
- Additionally, there has been a 57.9 percent increase in attacks being sent from compromised accounts getting through traditional detection.
- The top five legitimate platforms used to send phishing emails include DocuSign, Paypal, Microsoft, Google Drive, and Salesforce.
- Currently the most impersonated brands include Microsoft, Docusign, Adobe, Paypal, and LinkedIn.
The report examines the unprecedented scale of polymorphic phishing tactics, now present in 76.4 percent of all phishing campaigns, which use AI-generated variations to bypass traditional security measures. Meanwhile, ransomware payloads in phishing attacks have risen by 22.6 percent over six months, with a sharp 57.5 percent increase in just three months—exemplified by a sophisticated INC Ransom payload detected by KnowBe4 Defend.
The research also highlights how cybercriminals are increasingly targeting the hiring process, with 64 percent of attacks focused on engineering roles, exploiting their access to critical systems and data.
“As ever, innovation in phishing threats and defenses is accelerating rapidly,” said Jack Chapman, SVP of threat intelligence at KnowBe4. “In this report, we have observed cybercriminals evolving their tactics, leveraging ransomware and polymorphic campaigns with new strategies to evade detection by both traditional and advanced technologies.”
The Phishing Threat Trends Report, Vol 5 is available for download here.