👋 Welcome to This Week’s Issue
Every week in Unlocked, we explore the latest threats, emerging research, and real-world attacks impacting both individuals and enterprises. Our mission is simple: cut through the noise and give you practical insights you can actually use to stay safe online.
This week, we’re taking a closer look at one of the oldest yet most effective cyberattacks — phishing. Despite decades of awareness campaigns and billions spent on cybersecurity solutions, phishing continues to be the #1 cause of breaches worldwide (Verizon DBIR 2024).
Why does it still work? Because phishing doesn’t just attack technology — it attacks people. By exploiting psychological triggers like urgency, fear, trust, and curiosity, attackers bypass logic and security defenses in a split second.
🧠 Why Phishing Works: The Psychology at Play
Phishing is successful because it manipulates how our brains make quick decisions. We like to think we’re rational, but much of our decision-making is fast, emotional, and automatic. Attackers know this — and they design their messages accordingly.
Urgency & Fear – A warning that your bank account will be frozen or your email deleted in 24 hours creates panic. That fear short-circuits critical thinking (CISA).
Authority & Trust – Messages appearing to come from a boss, CEO, or IT admin exploit our natural tendency to obey authority (Norton).
Scarcity & Reward – Limited-time offers, prize notifications, or “first come, first served” opportunities tap into our fear of missing out.
Curiosity & Routine – “View invoice,” “Track shipment,” or “See document” messages play on everyday tasks. According to the Proofpoint Human Factor Report, the simplest messages often yield the highest click-through rates.
This mix of emotional pressure and familiar context makes phishing not only effective but shockingly consistent across industries and geographies.
📩 Real-World Examples of Phishing Traps
Phishing is constantly evolving, but the core tactics remain the same. A few high-impact examples:
The PayPal Scam – Fake emails warning that an account has been “locked due to suspicious activity.” Victims click to “restore access,” only to land on credential-harvesting sites. (PayPal Security Guidance)
Business Email Compromise (BEC) – Attackers impersonate executives and trick finance teams into wiring money. These scams have cost organizations more than $55+ billion globally since 2013 (FBI IC3 Report).
Smishing (SMS Phishing) – Texts claiming to be from banks, shipping companies, or delivery services. These often push users to click a malicious link or download malware. (FTC Guidance)
Deepfake-Enabled Phishing – Emerging attacks now use AI-generated voices or videos to impersonate trusted individuals, making the scam even harder to detect (Europol AI Phishing Report).
Each example shows how phishing adapts to new technology while still relying on the same human triggers.
🧩 The Psychology Methods Behind Phishing
Phishing isn’t random — it’s carefully designed to exploit known psychological biases and phenomena. Attackers draw from behavioral science, persuasion research, and social psychology to make their scams more convincing. Here are some of the most common techniques:
Authority Bias – We’re more likely to comply with requests that appear to come from authority figures. That’s why phishing emails often impersonate CEOs, HR managers, or IT administrators.
Urgency Effect – Time pressure forces quick decisions. Subject lines like “Your account will be locked in 24 hours” create panic, bypassing rational thought.
Optimism Bias – People tend to believe bad things happen to others, not them. This makes them underestimate the risk of falling for phishing emails..
Dunning-Kruger Effect – Overconfidence in one’s ability to spot scams can actually make people more vulnerable. Users who think “I’d never fall for phishing” are often the easiest targets (Security Today).
Curiosity Gap – Headlines like “Unusual login attempt detected” or “Invoice attached” exploit our drive to close information gaps — even when we know better.
Reciprocity Principle – Offering a fake refund, coupon, or bonus taps into the human tendency to return favors — even to strangers.
Cognitive Overload – Phishing emails often use cluttered designs, technical jargon, or multiple instructions. Overwhelmed users are more likely to click without thinking critically (PhishFirewall).
By weaving these psychological triggers into their messages, phishers manipulate not just what we see, but how we think. The more familiar you are with these tactics, the easier it becomes to pause and recognize when your emotions — not your logic — are being targeted.
🛡️ How to Outsmart Phishing Psychology
Phishing defense starts with awareness — but awareness has to be paired with action. Here’s how to guard yourself and your organization:
For everyday users:
🔍 Slow down before clicking – If an email or text creates panic or urgency, pause. The extra 30 seconds could save you from compromise.
📧 Verify requests directly – If your “bank” emails you, call them through the official number on their website. Don’t trust the email itself.
🛑 Check URLs carefully – Hover over links before clicking. Watch for misspellings like
paypa1.comor suspicious redirects (Google Safety Center).🔐 Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Even if your password is stolen, MFA can block unauthorized logins (Everykey Blog).
For IT leaders & security teams:
📚 Run phishing simulations – Teach employees to recognize and resist real-world examples (KnowBe4 Phishing Test).
📊 Measure behavior, not just training – Track click-through rates and reporting rates to gauge progress.
🛡️ Layer defenses – Combine technical controls (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, filtering) with security awareness programs (NIST Guidelines).
🔎 Threat intelligence – Stay ahead of phishing campaigns targeting your industry by subscribing to threat feeds (The Breach Report).
🎯 Why Phishing Still Matters
Phishing isn’t a relic of the early internet — it’s a thriving, billion-dollar industry because it exploits something technology can’t patch: human psychology.
Firewalls, endpoint detection, and spam filters stop a lot, but they can’t stop an employee in a hurry from clicking a link. That’s why phishing continues to top breach reports year after year. The solution isn’t just better tools — it’s building resilience through habits, awareness, and layered defenses.
If businesses can train their people to recognize the psychological tricks behind phishing, they can turn their workforce from the weakest link into the first line of defense.
💡 Unlocked Tip of the Week
If an email, call, or text pressures you to act fast — stop. Urgency is the biggest red flag of phishing. Verify first, then act. (FTC: How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing)
Meet Nick Marsteller - Head of Content
With a background in content management for tech companies and startups, Nick Marsteller brings creativity and focus to his role as the Head of Content at Everykey.
Over his career, Nick has supported organizations ranging from early-stage startups to global technology providers, driving initiatives across digital content and branding. With a background spanning SaaS, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Outside of work, Nick loves to travel, attend concerts with friends, and spend time with family and his two cats, Ducky and Daisy.
✅ Wrapping Up
Phishing is powerful not because it’s technically advanced, but because it targets the human side of security. By learning the psychological levers attackers pull — fear, urgency, trust, and curiosity — you can start spotting the traps before they’re sprung.
Stay aware. Stay protected. And remember: a little caution goes a long way in keeping your digital life safe.
Till next time,