Gain protection against advanced email attacks like BEC, ATO, social engineering, and more
Turn hours-a-day to minutes-a-month combatting phishing with customizable security automation
Triple your org's email security awareness with real-world phishing simulation testing and training
Get Adaptive AI email security against advanced attacks missed by other security controls
Eliminate the risk of ATO with advanced prevention, detection, and response
Protect your organization from image-based attacks like malicious QR codes
Put SecOps workloads on auto-pilot with automated email remediation and more
Send your employees customized simulations built from real-world threats
Build a security-centric culture with automated personalized awareness campaigns
Leverage insights from 20,000+ security analysts in our community for email remediation
Protect your collaboration tools including Microsoft Teams® from advanced threats
Learn how we level up our AI with advanced ML models and Human Insights
See how we uniquely enhance our adaptive AI with real-time Human Insights
Discover how we use Gen-AI, large language models, and techniques for email security
Maximize your existing security tools with our seamlessly integrated platform
Stop advanced attacks like BEC, VEC, and VIP impersonation
Continuously protect against malicious links and attachments
Block attackers from stealing your sensitive business data
Prevent, detect, and respond to ATO attacks in real time
Decipher image-based attacks from weaponized QR codes
Safeguard your organization against GPT-crafted attacks
Test your employees with real-world email attacks
Build a security-first organization with integrated SAT campaigns
Barrel phishing, also known as double-barrel phishing or multi-stage phishing, while not a specific attack, typically refers to a general phishing tactic that involves two or more separate emails, to steal sensitive information or data from unsuspecting victims. This type of phishing has become increasingly common and is a growing concern for both individuals and organizations.
There are several types of barrel phishing attacks, including:
For an attacker targeting a business, barrel phishing starts with the initial stage, where the attacker sends an email or message to the victim posing as a trustworthy source, but most commonly, this first message does not contain any malicious content. The goal of the initial message is to establish trust with the target within the organization by posing as a coworker, partner, or executive (e.g. CEO Fraud/V.I.P impersonation).
The second stage of barrel phishing involves the attacker sending another email or message that contains the malicious content or request for sensitive information. These follow-up emails and messages leverage malicious attachments or links to fraudulent pages to obtain login credentials, also known as credential harvesting. This second stage can often result in the attacker gaining even more sensitive information or control over the victim's device.
Barrel phishing can be difficult to detect since the attacker is more patient and the malicious intent of the attack isn't as straightforward. Attackers often use impersonation tactics using familiar names, logos, or branding to make the phishing attempt appear legitimate. However, there are several warning signs that can help identify double-barrel phishing:
Since barrel phishing is a serious threat to organizations, it's important to take steps proactive measures to protect against it. Implementing the following security measures can help ensure that organizations remain secure against barrel phishing and other types of cyber attacks. Effective measures include:
IRONSCALES’ self-learning anti-phishing platform uses machine learning to fight barrel phishing and other targeted a malicious-intent based email attacks for you. NLP technology ensures protection against suspicious emails, whether they come from sources inside or outside your domain. Warning banners alert about threats and make it quick and easy for C-suites to report suspicious emails and get on with their important tasks.
Beyond the automated and technology-based protections provided by IRONSCALES the platform directly integrates real-world phishing simulation testing and personalized security awareness training to educate employees on advanced identification and prevention best practices.
Learn more about IRONSCALES advanced anti-phishing platform here.
Immediately jump into an interactive journey through our AI email security platform.
This comprehensive Osterman Research study explores the evolving landscape of AI-driven threats and innovative solutions implemented to stay ahead.
This guide gives email security experts an exclusive access to Gartner® research to ensure their existing solution remains appropriate for the evolving landscape.
Data shows organizations deploy defense-in-depth approaches ineffective at addressing BEC attacks. Discover truly effective strategies in this report.
Request a demo to see what IRONSCALES AI-powered email security can do for you.