Emerging Trends in Phishing : A look at Smishing, Vishing and Quishing

Abstract

Sophisticated and varied approaches including Smishing (SMS phishing), vishing (voice phishing), and quishing (QR code phishing) have emerged as a result of phishing attacks' major evolution beyond conventional email-based methods. These new attack methods circumvent traditional security measures and compromise private data by taking use of social engineering, mobile technologies, and human trust. This essay examines how phishing strategies have changed over time, looking at the methods, resources, and psychological tricks used in Smishing, vishing, and quishing. Additionally, it draws attention to real-world case studies, detection difficulties, and threat actors' growing use of automation and artificial intelligence. The study also looks at future trends in phishing, such as cross-channel phishing campaigns and deep fake-enabled voice phishing, and considers the consequences for cyber security knowledge. This study intends to educate cyber security experts and stakeholders about the pressing need to develop and adapt defense mechanisms in an increasingly complex threat landscape by examining various contemporary threats. Keywords: Phishing; Smishing; Vishing; Quishing; Cybercrime; Cybersecurity; Human vulnerability; Threat.