What is a Vishing Attack?

Joha Mahfuz
Jun 9, 2025
2 min read

By SecYork Technology

In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, social engineering remains one of the most effective tactics used by attackers. While most people are familiar with phishing emails, fewer recognize its voice-based counterpart: vishing.

But what exactly is a vishing attack, and why should your organization take it seriously?

Vishing Defined

Vishing is short for “voice phishing.” It’s a type of social engineering attack where cybercriminals use phone calls or voicemail messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information such as:

Login credentials
Banking information
Social Security numbers
One-time passcodes (OTP)
Company secrets

Unlike email-based phishing, vishing adds a human element—a voice on the other end of the line—which often makes it more convincing and harder to detect.

How Do Vishing Attacks Work?

Vishing attackers often use caller ID spoofing to make their call appear as if it’s from a legitimate source—like a bank, government agency, or even your company’s IT department.

Here’s a typical flow of a vishing attack:

Pretexting: The attacker creates a believable story (e.g., "We're calling from your bank’s fraud department").
Urgency: The victim is told their account has been compromised and immediate action is needed.
Information Harvesting: The caller requests personal information, OTPs, or asks the victim to perform an action (like installing remote software or visiting a malicious website).
Exploitation: The attacker uses the gathered information to access systems, steal funds, or further social engineer others

Real-World Examples

Tech Support Scams: A “Microsoft technician” calls to warn of a virus, then asks for remote access to your computer.
Bank Fraud Alerts: A “bank representative” requests verification of your card details due to “suspicious activity.”
CEO Impersonation: An attacker poses as an executive requesting a wire transfer during a critical meeting window.

Vishing is also commonly used as part of multi-stage attacks, especially in targeted business intrusions like Business Email Compromise (BEC) or whaling.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Business

At SecYork, we emphasize that awareness is your first line of defense. Here's how to stay protected from vishing threats:

Employee Training

Conduct regular training to recognize vishing attempts.
Emphasize that legitimate companies don’t ask for sensitive data over the phone.

Verify Before You Trust

Always hang up and call back using a verified number.
Never trust caller ID blindly—it can be spoofed.

Limit Public Information

Keep employee contact details, job titles, and internal procedures off public websites and social media.

Implement Strong Internal Policies

Require multi-factor verification for any financial transactions or data sharing.
Use code words or predefined procedures for sensitive calls.

Report and Respond

Encourage employees to report suspicious calls immediately.
Keep a clear incident response plan for social engineering threats.

Vishing is Growing—So Should Your Defenses

As voice technology evolves and remote work becomes standard, vishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. It’s no longer just about email. Every phone call could be a potential threat vector—especially when your employees are the targets.

At SecYork Technology, we help organizations build resilient defenses through awareness training, policy development, and security testing. Don’t let a phone call become your weakest link.

Think you’ve been targeted by a vishing attempt? Contact SecYork for incident support or to schedule a vishing simulation assessment.