Cybersecurity
Microsoft: Email phishing activity surged at the end of the third quarter
Microsoft Threat Intelligence noted a sharp rise in email phishing activity at the end of Q3 2026. QR-code phishing decreased, while CAPTCHA-gated campaigns became active again.
Microsoft Threat Intelligence announced its observations on email threats for July–September 2026. The company reported a sharp increase in phishing activity conducted via email at the end of the third quarter.
According to the report review, phishing activity using QR codes has decreased. Phishing campaigns hidden behind CAPTCHA checks have resumed their previous level of activity. These observations indicate that various email threat methods are not changing in the same direction.
Microsoft also recorded malicious messages from sender domains spoofed to resemble familiar business services. The company emphasized that these messages revealed risks associated with granting exceptions to protection rules. The full analysis is available in the official source.
This is a translated editorial summary. Refer to the original source for the complete announcement.