Tactic or Technique: Spoofing

Spoofing is when attackers falsify sender information to make a message look like it came from someone you trust by forging a real email address.

Messages like this often impersonate executives, IT support, or vendors and can lead to stolen credentials, wire fraud, or malware infections. When the source looks trustworthy, you're more likely to follow instructions, click a link, or open a file without hesitation.

Spoofing is especially effective when email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren’t properly enforced. Without those protections, it becomes much easier for attackers to get past both technical filters and human judgment.