Building resilience against ever-evolving phishing attacks

A fish and a hook next to a envelope AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Image generated with Adobe Firefly.

Phishing attacks have become one of the most pervasive and sophisticated threats facing individuals and organizations. In fact, according to the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), phishing was involved in 16 percent of breaches, making it one of the top initial access vectors attackers use to enable credential abuse. Moreover, cybercriminals are continually evolving their tactics to exploit trusted brands and deceive users, placing personal data and security at serious risk.

To protect our customers from phishing attempts, we embrace an integrated security approach that tackles social engineering threats through various stages. In this blog, I will share how Adobe’s security teams work to implement both proactive and reactive security measures that continuously adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

Common phishing attack methods

Cybercriminals are often known to exploit established brands to create deceiving messages that take advantage of users’ trust in those brands and lower their defenses. Well-known brands are frequently targeted through a variety of exploitation tactics, including but not limited to:

We take a risk-based approach and focus our efforts on providing protection against these threats. By understanding these methods, both Adobe and our customers can stay more vigilant and better prepared to defend against potential threats.

Phishing samples impersonating Adobe’s brand for credential abuse.

How Adobe tackles phishing attacks

To extend protection for our customers, Adobe employs a multi-layered approach that includes both proactive and reactive measures to heighten defense against phishing attempts.

Proactive measures

Our proactive efforts take place early in the threat lifecycle and are designed to identify and mitigate phishing threats early on. Being proactive when it comes to phishing is crucial because it helps us reduce risk and limit exposure to attacks. Here are a few of the ways Adobe proactively works to help prevent phishing attacks before they occur:

Reactive measures

In addition to proactive measures, strong reactive protocols are essential for minimizing damage once a phishing attack is detected. This allows us to respond swiftly, contain threats, and support affected users. Adobe engages in the following reactive protocols to help reduce the impact of phishing attempts:

How customers can protect themselves

While Adobe is committed to securing our platforms and protecting our customers, users also play a vital role in safeguarding their own information. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

Wrap up

At Adobe, we are committed to protecting our customers from phishing attempts by continuously strengthening our security measures, collaborating with industry experts, and staying ahead of emerging cyber threats. We believe that awareness and taking strong action are key to creating a secure environment – one that safeguards our users and honors the trust they place in us.

Looking ahead, we plan to continue expanding our automated detection systems and threat intelligence integrations, improving our ability to anticipate phishing trends and stop attacks before they impact our customers.

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