--- title: "Phishing Attacks aren’t Just Targeted at People Anymore | DuoCircle" description: "If you haven’t already heard, the Internet of Things (IoT) is going to be big." image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/phishing-protection/phishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore/" --- Quick Answer Phishing now targets connected devices, not just inboxes. IoT devices (thermostats, doorbells, refrigerators, medical equipment) lag behind computers and servers on security, and the attack vector is still email. Researchers at Kaspersky compromised a smart home setup by sending a phishing email asking the user to download a backup copy onto the hub. Once installed, the attacker had maximum-privilege access to every connected device. IEEE research notes that users extend the trust they place in long-familiar devices like phones and TVs to new IoT hardware, making social engineering more effective. Defending the home or company requires anti-phishing filtering at the email layer, since human error remains the primary risk. Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Phishing%20Attacks%20aren%E2%80%99t%20Just%20Targeted%20at%20People%20Anymore&url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=undefined%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=undefined%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F&title=Phishing%20Attacks%20aren%E2%80%99t%20Just%20Targeted%20at%20People%20Anymore "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Phishing%20Attacks%20aren%E2%80%99t%20Just%20Targeted%20at%20People%20Anymore&body=Check out this article: undefined%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F "Share via Email") ![Phishing Attacks](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2019/07/spf-record-tester-2031.jpg) If you haven’t already heard, the [Internet of Things](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet%5Fof%5Fthings) (IoT) is going to be big. _IoT simply means that every electrical device in your life will be connected to the Internet_. From your doorbell to your thermostat to your refrigerator to every possible medical device. If you can plug it into an electrical socket it will probably plug into the Internet. IoT devices will usher in the age of the [Smart Home](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home%5Fautomation). They will control lighting, climate, entertainment systems and appliances, and generally make life better. That’s the good news. Now for the bad news. If it’s attached to the Internet then it can be hacked. And as of right now, _IoT devices are not yet up to par with computers and servers when it comes to security_. They’re much more vulnerable. Which makes them the ideal target for a **phishing attack**. As proof, [researchers at Kaspersky ran a simulated attack on smart home security](https://securelist.com/fibaro-smart-home/91416/). What they found was that while it wasn’t easy to hack the devices, it was possible. And what was the attack vector? A **phishing email**. According to an article on [Security Week](https://www.securityweek.com/smart-home-hacked-vulnerabilities-social-engineering), “the researchers sent a phishing email asking the user to update the software on the device by downloading from the cloud the backup copy they had prepared. Once the backup was installed, the researchers gained access to the hub and to all devices attached to it with maximum privileges.” Hackers aren’t just going after you anymore, they’re going after your information devices. _And while that may not lead directly to financial losses, it will almost certainly result in a loss of privacy_, at the very least. As with most phishing attacks, attacks on IoT devices will be begin with [social engineering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social%5Fengineering%5F%28security%29). Confirmed by an [article from IEEE](https://iot.ieee.org/newsletter/september-2016/social-engineering-attacks-on-the-internet-of-things.html), “The use of modern IoT devices has greatly increased the reach of an attacker, and the effectiveness of **social engineering attacks**. IoT devices often hold the trust of users as they belong to a family of devices which they have been able to safely use for years, such as cars, phones, and television sets. The trust relationship between users and IoT devices makes them an effective avenue for social engineering attacks because users are more likely to accept information received from them without question.” [![cybersecurity](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2019/07/spf-validator-2032.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2019/07/spf-validator-2032.jpg) That malicious email in your inbox can now impact everything in your home or your company if you’re not prepared. That means [anti-phishing software](/email/phishing-protection) is more valuable and more imperative than ever. Don’t let hackers take over your life. Protect yourself by defending against the [biggest cybersecurity risk](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/21/the-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-us-businesses-is-employee-negligence-study-says.html) of all, human error. Get [phishing protection](/email/phishing-protection). You can protect your entire company or home in 10 minutes for less than you think. Try it risk free for 30 days. ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) Brad Slavin General Manager General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio. ## Secure your email infrastructure Protect, authenticate, and deliver. Contact our team to find the right solution. [Contact Sales](/contact/) [Explore Products](/products/) Share this article [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F) [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Phishing%20Attacks%20aren%E2%80%99t%20Just%20Targeted%20at%20People%20Anymore&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-protection%2Fphishing-attacks-arent-just-targeted-at-people-anymore%2F) Copy Related Articles - [ ![AI-Generated Phishing](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2026/04/spf-record-4522.jpg) AI-Generated Phishing Has Eliminated the Typo: Why Traditional Email Filters Are No Longer Enough Phishing ](/blog/ai-generated-phishing-eliminates-typos-making-traditional-email-filters-ineffective/) - [ ![spf-permerror-4555](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/05/spf-permerror-4555.jpg) 10 Applications of ChatGPT that Hackers Are Already Exploiting Phishing ](/blog/phishing-protection/10-applications-of-chatgpt-that-hackers-are-already-exploiting/) - [ ![Email-Based Cyber-Attacks](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2016/03/spf-record-tester-4455.jpg) 65% of Global Businesses Ill-Equipped to Defend Against Email-Based Cyber-Attacks Phishing ](/blog/phishing-protection/65-global-businesses-ill-equipped-defend-email-based-cyber-attacks/) - [ ![Email-based Ransomware Attacks](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2018/02/email-smtp-service-7834.jpg) 7 Ways to Protect Your Organization from Email-based Ransomware Attacks Phishing ](/blog/phishing-protection/7-ways-protect-organization-email-based-ransomware-attacks/) ## Related Articles [ Phishing 11m AI-Generated Phishing Has Eliminated the Typo: Why Traditional Email Filters Are No Longer Enough Apr 28, 2026 ](/blog/ai-generated-phishing-eliminates-typos-making-traditional-email-filters-ineffective/)[ Phishing 5m 10 Applications of ChatGPT that Hackers Are Already Exploiting May 3, 2023 ](/blog/phishing-protection/10-applications-of-chatgpt-that-hackers-are-already-exploiting/)[ Phishing 4m 65% of Global Businesses Ill-Equipped to Defend Against Email-Based Cyber-Attacks Mar 29, 2016 ](/blog/phishing-protection/65-global-businesses-ill-equipped-defend-email-based-cyber-attacks/)[ Phishing 9m 7 Ways to Protect Your Organization from Email-based Ransomware Attacks Feb 11, 2018 ](/blog/phishing-protection/7-ways-protect-organization-email-based-ransomware-attacks/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. 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