If there’s one thing I tell every client, it’s this: phishing is still the number one way hackers get into businesses. Not clever zero-day exploits. Not brute-force attacks on your firewall. It’s someone in your office clicking a link in an email that looks legitimate. And in 2026, these phishing emails are more convincing than ever – because the attackers are now using AI to write them.
The days of obvious phishing emails full of typos and broken English are mostly behind us. Today’s phishing messages are grammatically correct, professionally formatted, and often tailored to your specific industry or even your company. They might reference a real vendor you work with, a real invoice number, or a real project. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
Red Flags That Still Give Phishing Emails Away
Even with better writing, phishing emails still have telltale signs. Here are the ones I coach my clients’ teams to watch for:
The sender’s address doesn’t match the company. The display name might say “Microsoft Support,” but if you look at the actual email address, it’s something like support@msft-alerts-update.com. Always check the full email address, not just the display name.
There’s artificial urgency. Phishing emails love to create panic: “Your account will be suspended in 24 hours,” “Immediate action required,” “Unauthorized login detected.” Legitimate companies rarely demand instant action via email. When you feel rushed, slow down.
The link doesn’t go where it says it goes. Before clicking any link, hover your mouse over it (don’t click!) and look at the URL that appears. If the email says it’s from your bank but the link goes to a random domain, that’s a phishing attempt. On a phone, press and hold the link to preview the URL.
It asks for credentials or sensitive information. No legitimate service will email you asking for your password, Social Security number, or banking details. If an email asks you to “verify your account” by entering your login credentials, don’t do it. Go directly to the website by typing the address into your browser instead.
It has an unexpected attachment. Be especially cautious of attachments you weren’t expecting, even from people you know. If your vendor sends an invoice you weren’t anticipating, pick up the phone and verify before opening it. Do not email and ask if it’s legitimate. Sometimes a scammer will have access to the mailbox and simply reply “yes, it’s legit”. A quick call can save you a lot of headaches.
Watch out for Docusign. Attackers like to use Docusign to make their scams appear legitimate. When you open a Docusign document, there may be a link to “View Document”. When you click it, the link takes you to a site that tries to steal your login and password. Again, if the email is unexpected, CALL the sender to verify.
Technology Helps, but Training Is Essential
We deploy spam filtering and security tools for our clients that catch the vast majority of phishing attempts before they ever reach an inbox. Our spam filtering service is a critical first line of defense, and tools like Huntress EDR and ITDR provide additional layers of protection if something does get through. But no technology catches 100% of threats. The last line of defense is always your people.
That’s why employee training matters so much. Studies consistently show that companies without cybersecurity training for their staff are dramatically more vulnerable. It doesn’t need to be complicated—even a 15-minute quarterly refresher on what to look for can make a real difference. We help our managed services clients set up exactly this kind of awareness training.
What to Do If Someone Clicks
Even with the best training, mistakes happen. Here’s the most important thing: create a culture where people feel safe reporting it immediately. If an employee is afraid they’ll get in trouble for clicking a bad link, they’ll stay quiet—and that delay gives the attacker more time to do damage. The faster we know about it, the faster we can contain it.
If someone on your team thinks they’ve clicked a phishing link or entered credentials on a suspicious site, call us right away at 262.720.3668. We can take immediate steps to lock down the affected account, check for unauthorized access, and make sure the threat doesn’t spread.
Let’s Strengthen Your Defenses
Phishing isn’t going away. If anything, it’s getting more sophisticated every year. But with the right combination of technology and training, your business doesn’t have to be an easy target. Whether you need spam filtering, endpoint protection, or help setting up employee awareness training, we’re here to help.
We offer a free technology review for businesses in Southeastern Wisconsin. Let’s take a look at your current security posture and talk about what we can do to make your team safer.
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The post Phishing Emails Are Getting Smarter – Here’s How to Train Your Team to Spot Them appeared first on Great Lakes Tech Services.
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