What does 'Double Barrel Phishing' refer to in the context of cybersecurity?

A sophisticated phishing attack that uses two distinct stages or vectors, often building trust or gathering information in the first stage before delivering the main malicious payload in the second.

Which of the following scenarios best describes a 'Double Barrel Phishing' attack? (Select all that apply)

An attacker sends a seemingly harmless email (e.g., a survey or an internal policy update) to gauge recipient engagement and verify active email addresses, followed by a more malicious email with malware or a credential harvesting link. Additionally, An attacker first compromises a less critical account (like a personal social media profile) of an employee to gather information, then uses that information to craft a highly convincing phishing email for their corporate account.

Why are Double Barrel Phishing attacks often more successful than standard phishing attempts?

They create a false sense of security or legitimacy in the initial stage, making the victim less suspicious of the follow-up attack.

Double Barrel Phishing Attack

Learn the common tactics and red flags related to double-barreled phishing attacks, where initial social engineering via phone call prepares the victim for a follow-up phishing email, demonstrating how attackers build trust before delivering malicious payloads.

What You'll Learn

Understand multi-stage attack methodologies that build credibility over time
Recognize how seemingly innocent questions during calls can gather reconnaissance
Learn to identify urgency tactics that pressure immediate action without verification
Develop skills in analyzing sender domains for subtle spoofing techniques
Master the importance of verifying system migration requests through official channels
Understand how attackers exploit knowledge about internal tools and processes

Training Steps

Introduction

Alice Thompson is a senior recruiter at Nexlify Solutions, an outsourcing company that specializes in connecting talented professionals with clients. As part of her role, Alice manages a comprehensive database containing sensitive candidate information including resumes, contact details, salary expectations, and personal data. Bob is a sophisticated cybercriminal who has been researching Nexlify Solutions. His goal is to gain access to the company's valuable candidate database, which he plans to sell to competitors for substantial profit. Bob has chosen Alice as his target after studying her LinkedIn profile and the company's structure.
The Unexpected Call

Alice is reviewing applications at her desk when her phone rings. The caller sounds professional and articulate, introducing himself as 'David Miller', a senior software engineer interested in opportunities at Nexlify Solutions.
The Attack Begins

During the phone call, Bob (as David) presents himself as an articulate and knowledgeable professional. The conversation flows naturally as they discuss his background, the role requirements, and company culture. About halfway through the call, Bob steers the conversation in a seemingly innocent direction.
Gathering Intelligence

Alice is being asked a seemingly innocent question
The Email Exchange

After the positive phone conversation, Alice sends Bob, disguised as 'David', detailed information about several open positions that match his background. Alice wants to enter David's details into the TalentHub Pro database because he seems like a very suitable candidate and she can get a hiring bonus. So she eagerly awaits his response email with his resume.
The Preparation

Meanwhile, Bob prepares fake TalentHub Pro login page. He created urgency for Alice to use TalentHub Pro for hiring and getting ready to exploit it.
The Phishing Email Arrives

Alice receives an email that appears to be from the company's IT department. The sender address shows 'it-support@nexlify-solutions-secure.com' and includes the familiar company logo and professional formatting that Alice recognizes from legitimate IT communications.
Reading the Email

Alice clicks on the migration link, which opens what appears to be the TalentHub Pro login page. The website looks identical to the system she uses daily - same colors, logo, layout, and familiar interface elements. The URL displays 'https://talenthub-pro-migration.nexlify-solutions-secure.com/login' which looks legitimate at first glance.
Enter Credentials

Feeling the pressure of the 5:00 PM deadline and an urgent need to preserve TalentHub acccess for adding David's details, Alice enters her username and password. The fake website immediately captures her credentials and displays a convincing message.
The Successful Data Breach

After a few seconds, the page redirects to the genuine Nexlify Solutions login page, creating the illusion that the migration was successful.

Knowledge Check Questions

This training includes a 6-question quiz to test your understanding of Double Barrel Phishing threats and defenses.

What does 'Double Barrel Phishing' refer to in the context of cybersecurity?
Which of the following scenarios best describes a 'Double Barrel Phishing' attack? (Select all that apply)
Why are Double Barrel Phishing attacks often more successful than standard phishing attempts?
You receive an email from an external vendor asking for feedback on a recent service, with a link to a survey. A week later, you receive another email from the same 'vendor' referencing your participation in the survey and offering a 'thank you' discount, asking you to click a new link to claim it. What might this indicate?
Which of these measures are particularly important for defending against Double Barrel Phishing attacks? (Select all that apply)