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    Home»News»Microsoft tops global phishing rankings as cybercriminals target identity and trust
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    Microsoft tops global phishing rankings as cybercriminals target identity and trust

    mmBy ITPulseJanuary 15, 2026198 Views
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    Microsoft has once again been named the world’s most impersonated brand, accounting for nearly a quarter of all global brand phishing attempts.

    According to the Q4 2025 Brand Phishing Report released by Check Point Research (CPR), Microsoft appeared in 22% of all phishing attacks during the final quarter of the year. Tech giant Google followed in second place at 13%, while Amazon secured third place with 9%, fueled largely by the surge in holiday shopping and Black Friday activity.

    The latest rankings highlight a strategic focus on platforms that manage identity, productivity, and cloud services. Notably, Facebook (Meta) has returned to the top 10 after a long absence, signaling a renewed interest in social media account takeovers.

    Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Research, noted that attackers are leveraging AI-generated content and polished visuals to create highly convincing replicas of legitimate sites.

    The report highlighted several specific campaigns used to trick users:

    • Roblox: A sophisticated campaign targeted children using a lookalike domain (com.af) and a fake game titled “SKIBIDI Steal a Brainrot.” Once users clicked “Play,” they were redirected to a fake login page that silently harvested their credentials.
    • Netflix: Attackers used an “account recovery” theme on a fraudulent domain to steal login details for resale on the dark web.
    • Facebook: A Spanish-language phishing campaign was detected using GitHub-hosted pages to lure users into providing their phone numbers and passwords.

    Cybercriminals continue to see success by exploiting the trust users place in major brands. By using lookalike domains with subtle character changes and multi-stage deception paths, they create a sense of urgency or familiarity that bypasses standard user caution.

    “Identity-based access has become the crown jewel for attackers. To combat these evolving threats, experts recommend a “prevention-first” strategy that combines AI-driven security tools with strong multi-factor authentication and constant user education,” said Dembinsky.

     

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