Phishing at Large: O’Kane Joins Cloudflare Panel
24 Jun 2025
Cloudflare convened cybersecurity experts Matt O’Kane and James Crocker for their Innovation Matters podcast series to examine the escalating sophistication of phishing attacks, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in criminal operations.
The Scale Has Expanded Dramatically
O’Kane cautioned that phishing attacks have grown significantly since the 1990s. He noted: “The difference today is a difference of scale. The scale is immense, and the speed at which criminals can react to new events has increased.”
Internal Communications as Defense
Crocker emphasized organizational messaging consistency as protection against cybercrime. He stated: “Businesses should be consistent in their messaging” and should “consider how their communications may be misinterpreted.”
AI’s Role in Escalating Threats
Crocker warned that advancing artificial intelligence will enable criminals to conduct increasingly sophisticated phishing operations.
Understanding Phishing Types
Phishing attacks trick individuals into revealing sensitive information. Variants include:
- Spear phishing: Targeted attacks on specific recipients
- Whaling: Attacks targeting senior executives for higher value payoffs
Training and Prevention Strategies
Both experts advocated for proactive organizational approaches. O’Kane recommended: “Think about what you’ll do if the worst happens.” He highlighted simulated email testing as “one of the most effective ways to build awareness,” encouraging IT teams to routinely test employee responses to suspicious messages.
The discussion underscored that prevention through preparation outweighs reactive responses to incidents.