Sophisticated Phishing Attacks Targeting Decision-Makers Including CEOs and CTOs

A recent study by cybersecurity firm Hackmosphere reveals alarming gaps in phishing awareness among C-suite executives, with CEOs demonstrating particularly high susceptibility to socially engineered attacks. The research, conducted through simulated phishing campaigns, shows how even experienced decision-makers remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated email-based threats. Phishing—a technique where attackers masquerade as trusted entities to extract […] The post Sophisticated Phishing Attacks Targeting Decision-Makers Including CEOs and CTOs appeared first on Cyber Security News.

Feb 21, 2025 - 04:33

Sophisticated Phishing Attacks Targeting Decision-Makers Including CEOs and CTOs

A recent study by cybersecurity firm Hackmosphere reveals alarming gaps in phishing awareness among C-suite executives, with CEOs demonstrating particularly high susceptibility to socially engineered attacks.

The research, conducted through simulated phishing campaigns, shows how even experienced decision-makers remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated email-based threats.

Phishing—a technique where attackers masquerade as trusted entities to extract sensitive data—has evolved into specialized forms like spear-phishing (targeted attacks on individuals) and whaling (targeting senior executives).

Hackmosphere’s experiment focused on the latter, crafting tailored scenarios for 45 CEOs and CTOs across industries.

Security experts at Hackmosphere noted that the results shows the critical risks for organizations: 24% of CEOs clicked malicious links in test emails, compared to just 6% of CTOs, emphasizing discrepancies in threat perception among leadership roles.

Phishing Infrastructure

Hackmosphere’s campaign relied on a multi-layered technical setup to replicate real-world attack conditions.

Attackers first registered domain names mimicking legitimate entities: meditech-innovation.fr for CEOs and summit-leaders-technologiques.fr for CTOs.

These domains hosted cloned pages designed to capture credentials if deployed maliciously.

The team configured a private Virtual Private Server (VPS) with Postfix for mail transfer, Certbot for SSL/TLS certificate management, and Mailgun for email routing.

To bypass spam filters, they used Warmupinbox, a tool that gradually increases email-sending reputation by simulating organic engagement.

Campaign metrics were tracked via Gophish, an open-source phishing framework that monitors open rates, link clicks, and user interactions.

Sample CEO phishing email template:-

Objet : Devis pour une prestation  
Message :  
Bonjour,  
Je vous contacte car j’ai identifié votre entreprise dans le cadre de ma recherche dans le domaine {{.Position}}. Je suis intéressé par ce que vous faites et aimerais obtenir un devis.  
Si vous souhaitez participer à l'appel d'offre, merci de prendre rendez-vous dans mon agenda ici : {{.URL}}

CTOs received emails leveraging their technical interests, such as invitations to speak at fabricated conferences.

While the CTO campaign achieved lower success, researchers noted that even tech-savvy targets could be deceived by urgent or prestigious opportunities.

CTO phishing email template:-

Objet : Invitation : Intervenez au Sommet des Leaders Technologiques 2025  
Message :  
Bonjour,  
Nous serions heureux de vous accueillir parmi nos intervenants, pour partager vos idées sur L'avenir de L'innovation technologique dans le domaine {{.Position}}.  
Si vous souhaitez en savoir davantage sur notre conférence, vous pouvez télécharger notre programme ici : {{.URL}}

The study exposed gaps in enterprise email security. While Office 365 flagged the majority of phishing emails as spam, Gmail allowed 98% of malicious messages to reach primary inboxes.

This disparity suggests organizations relying on consumer-grade email solutions face higher risks.

Hackmosphere’s findings carry grave implications. A real-world attack could lead to credential theft, ransomware installation, or intellectual property exfiltration—potentially costing millions in breaches and reputational damage.

The firm urges companies to adopt layered defenses: combining AI-driven spam filters (like Office 365), mandatory multi-factor authentication, and continuous phishing simulations.

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