After a phishing attack, what typically occurs next?

Following a phishing attack, the most common outcome is the establishment of a connection to an adversary's infrastructure. This typically occurs when an unsuspecting user provides sensitive information, such as login credentials or personal data, to a malicious website or service that mimics a legitimate one. After the user provides this information, the attackers often use it to gain unauthorized access to the victim's accounts or systems.

Once the attackers obtain this data, it allows them to initiate follow-up actions, such as lateral movement within the victim's network, data exfiltration, or launching further attacks. The connection to the adversary's infrastructure is critical, as it provides the attackers with the means to exploit the stolen information and exert control over the compromised accounts or devices.

Other options present less realistic scenarios post-phishing attack. For instance, attackers usually will not simply take no further actions; their objective is typically to leverage the information gained. Similarly, initiating a logout of the user session or deleting all data on the user’s device is not standard practice following a phishing attempt. Attackers usually focus on maintaining access and exploiting the situation rather than shutting down user sessions or causing data loss.