Two-stage phishing where initial harmless contact builds trust before delivering the malicious payload.
Barrel phishing (also called double-barrel phishing) is a multi-stage attack where the first email is benign—establishing contact and building trust—before a follow-up email delivers the malicious payload. The initial email might ask an innocent question or reference a legitimate topic. Once the victim responds, establishing rapport, the attacker sends a second email containing the malicious link or attachment. This approach bypasses suspicion triggered by unsolicited requests.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
Barrel phishing defeats the 'don't click links from strangers' advice because the second email comes from an established contact. Awareness training should cover this technique and encourage verification of unexpected requests even from known contacts.