Introduction

In today's interconnected digital landscape, phishing remains one of the most persistent and evolving threats facing organisations of all sizes. Despite decades of awareness training and technological advances, phishing attacks continue to succeed at an alarming rate. According to recent studies, over 80% of organisations reported experiencing phishing attacks in the past year, with the average cost of a data breach resulting from phishing reaching £3.2 million.

As a security professional, I've observed firsthand how phishing techniques have evolved from obvious scam emails to sophisticated, multi-channel attacks that can bypass traditional security controls. The rising prevalence of advanced tools designed specifically to circumvent multi-factor authentication has created an urgent need for security teams to update their defensive strategies.

This blog series aims to equip you with comprehensive knowledge and practical strategies to defend against modern phishing attacks. Whether you're responsible for security architecture, operations, or awareness training, this series will provide actionable insights to strengthen your organisation's resilience against these threats.

The Microsoft 365 Community Conference Connection

I'm excited to announce that I'll be presenting on this critical topic at the upcoming Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Las Vegas on 6-8 May 2025. My session, "Mastering Microsoft Sentinel: Live Incident Detection & Response in Action" (Session MS18), will build upon the content in this blog series with live demonstrations of phishing detection and response using Microsoft Sentinel.

The conference brings together Microsoft 365 experts, practitioners, and community members to share knowledge, best practices, and insights on maximising the platform's potential. My session will focus on practical implementations and live demonstrations of the concepts covered throughout this blog series, including:

• Live demonstration of how threat actors use phishing tools to steal authentication cookies
• Exploration of post-exploitation techniques used after successful phishing attacks
• Using KQL and Microsoft Graph to discover the techniques used by the threat actors
• Implementing automated response playbooks for rapid containment
• Integrating Microsoft Sentinel with the broader security ecosystem
• Implementing Passkeys and Phish resistant MFA

If you're planning to attend the conference, this blog series will serve as valuable pre-reading to enhance your session experience. Even if you can't make it to Las Vegas, the series provides a complete framework for improving your phishing defences.

Blog Series Overview: Your Roadmap to Comprehensive Phishing Defence

This six-part series (plus bonus content) is designed to take you on a journey from understanding the threat to implementing robust defensive measures. I'll be releasing a new instalment each week over the next seven weeks, with the full series published just in time for the Microsoft 365 Community Conference in May 2025.

Part 1: Introduction to the Blog Series (You are here)

In this introductory post, we're setting the stage for the entire series, explaining why phishing remains such a persistent threat and how a modern, layered defence strategy is essential for effective protection.

Part 2: Understanding Modern Phishing Attacks

In the next instalment, we'll explore the various types of phishing attacks, from traditional email phishing to more sophisticated variants like spear phishing, vishing, smishing, and business email compromise. We'll examine the psychological tactics used by attackers and the warning signs that can help users identify potential threats.

Part 3: Spotlight on Advanced Phishing Tools

The third part will take a deep dive into the sophisticated tools threat actors use to execute phishing attacks, with particular focus on frameworks like Evilginx and ModLishka that can bypass traditional multi-factor authentication. Understanding these tools is crucial for security professionals tasked with defending against them.

Bonus Content: The Growing Threat of Token Theft

Between Parts 3 and 4, I'll publish special bonus content exploring the dangerous evolution of token theft techniques. We'll examine tools like GraphRunner, AzureHound, and other post-exploitation frameworks that leverage stolen authentication cookies and tokens to maintain persistence and move laterally through Microsoft 365 environments. This technical deep-dive will help security professionals understand how initial phishing compromises can lead to broader organisational access.

Part 4: Phishing Protection Strategies

In this part, we'll cover the protective measures organisations can implement to defend against phishing, including email authentication protocols, Microsoft Defender for Office capabilities, third-party solutions, and effective user awareness training approaches.

Part 5: Detecting Phished Users with Microsoft Sentinel

The fifth instalment will focus on using Microsoft Sentinel to detect potential phishing victims through log analysis, custom detection rules, and automated response playbooks. We'll provide practical guidance on setting up an effective monitoring environment.

Part 6: Mitigating Phishing with Conditional Access and Passkeys

In the final part, we'll explore how to implement a comprehensive conditional access strategy alongside phishing-resistant authentication methods like passkeys and FIDO2 security keys to mitigate the risk and stop credentials being compromised.

The Zero Trust Approach to Phishing Defence

Throughout this series, we'll approach phishing defence through the lens of Zero Trust principles. The traditional perimeter-based security model has proven inadequate against sophisticated phishing attacks that target users directly, bypassing network defences.

Zero Trust principles that we'll explore include:

• Verify explicitly: Authenticating and authorising based on all available data points
• Use least privilege access: Limiting user access with Just-In-Time and Just-Enough-Access
• Assume breach: Minimising blast radius and segmenting access by verifying end-to-end encryption

This approach acknowledges that phishing attacks will inevitably target your organisation, and some may succeed in compromising credentials. By implementing layered defences that verify every access request based on multiple signals, you can significantly reduce the impact of successful phishing attacks.

Getting the Most from This Series

To maximise the value of this blog series, I recommend the following approach:

1. Read sequentially: While each post stands alone, they build upon each other to form a comprehensive strategy.
2. Assess your current state: As you read each part, evaluate your organisation's existing controls against the measures discussed.
3. Prioritise implementation: Use the series to develop a phased implementation plan based on your organisation's specific risks and resources.
4. Share with stakeholders: Different parts of the series will be relevant to different teams—security operations, identity management, end-user computing, and training.
5. Prepare questions: If you're attending the Microsoft 365 Community Conference, note specific questions or challenges to discuss during my session.

Prerequisites and Assumptions

This series assumes basic familiarity with:

• Microsoft 365 security services
• Identity and access management concepts
• Fundamental email security principles

However, we'll provide resources and references throughout to help fill any knowledge gaps.

Conclusion: The Journey Ahead

Phishing attacks won't disappear anytime soon—if anything, they'll continue to evolve in sophistication. By the end of this blog series, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of the threat landscape and a practical framework for implementing effective defences across your organisation.

In Part 2, we'll begin our journey by exploring the various types of phishing attacks and how to recognise them. This foundation will be essential for understanding the defensive measures we'll discuss in later instalments.

I look forward to sharing this security journey with you, both through this blog series and at the Microsoft 365 Community Conference. Together, we can build more resilient defences against one of the most persistent threats in the digital landscape.

Will you be attending the Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Las Vegas? Let me know in the comments if you have specific topics you'd like me to address during my session on "Mastering Microsoft Sentinel: Live Incident Detection & Response in Action."

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, where we'll dive into the various types of modern phishing attacks and how to recognise them.