Phishing isn't a new phenomenon. Since the early days of the Internet, nefarious actors have been impersonating people and businesses in order to first gain your trust, and then your personal information. Now that the Internet is more prevalent in our lives, attackers are getting savvier, making their phishing attacks more sophisticated so that we still fall for them - no matter how aware we are.

Phishing attacks require two things: a lure and a landing. Download this installment of the Akamai 2019 State of the Internet (SOTI) report to explore virtually every aspect of phishing, including:

• The basics of phishing as it has evolved over the years
• The development cycle used by phishing kit creators
• The growth of phishing as a service

The latest SOTI report digs deeper into a few examples of how the phishing economy works, and how users and businesses can take steps to protect themselves against the ever-evolving threat of phishing. This style of attack is not one-size-fits-all, so users and businesses must continue to do due diligence to stay one step ahead of criminals looking to misuse their social trust.

From January 2018 through June 2019, Akamai recorded more than 61 billion credential stuffing attempts and more than 4 billion web application attacks. In this special edition of the State of the Internet / Security Report, we're focusing on data within the high tech, video media, and entertainment sectors — collectively named Media & Technology.

These three industries accounted for nearly 35% of all credential stuffing attacks, and almost 17% of the web application attacks seen by Akamai during the 18-month reporting period. Our analysis indicates these three verticals are a stable and consistent attack source for two reasons: personal and corporate data. The targeted brands are household names, and criminals are looking to capitalize on that familiarity.

By attacking directly via web application attacks, criminals hope to expose customer records and financial data or leverage a vulnerable server to spread malicious code — also a common motive driving criminals to attack the retail sector. Credential stuffing abuses the brands targeted, as well as their customers, enabling the criminals to target personal information and corporate assets, such as media or digital products.

Security is the foundation of digital business innovation.

It's a bold claim; one that hasn't always been accepted as truth. In the not so distant past, digital security was seen as a cost center. Those days are gone.

Security is essential to the success of any digital business. If there is one thing you can always count on, however, it's that security-related incursions are inevitable. And it's news to no one to say that these disruptions can have dire consequences beyond downtime. Security breaches erode trust and damage reputation.

Simply put, there's no longer a choice. As a CIO, CISO, or other security or IT leader, you know it's your job to be the central agent stressing the connections between business and digital risk. It's your responsibility to find the talent and technology to ensure the protection of your digital assets.

According to Gartner, by 2020, 100% of large enterprises will be asked to report on their cybersecurity and technology risks to their boards of directors at least annually. That's up from 40% in 2018. Whether you're a leader of a large enterprise or a smaller business, part of your ongoing security, risk management, and compliance strategy will be sourcing the most effective security solution for your business.

We know. Easier said than done. To help, we've compiled this guide for you to find the right solution for your business to scale resilience, build trust, and drive revenue.