Hoxhunt 2026 Research Reports Reveal a Surge in Phishing Attacks, Reinforcing the Need for Human-Centric Cybersecurity - Yahoo Finance

This is a paid press release. Contact the press release distributor directly with any inquiries. Hoxhunt 2026 Research Reports Reveal a Surge in Phishing Attacks, Reinforcing the Need for Human-Centric Cybersecurity PR Newswire Wed, June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDT 4 min read VZ +2.30% Hoxhunt's contributions to the Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report further reflect this reality, as 62% of breaches contained the human element MINNEAPOLIS, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Data and analyses from Hoxhunt, the leading Human Risk Management platform, reveal a rise in advanced phishing campaigns throughout 2026. Collected from tens of millions of threat reports from millions of global Hoxhunt users, Hoxhunt data reveals an uptick in phishing volume targeting employees, as AI-generated phishing attacks have surged by 14x in 2026. HoxHunt Key findings from Hoxhunt's recent reports include: 2026 Tax Season Phishing Report An unprecedented wave of tax-themed phishing campaigns targeting employees swept over U.S. organizations this spring. Largest tax-related phishing campaign observed: In the spring of 2026, Hoxhunt detected the largest tax-related phishing campaign ever observed in its global threat intelligence data—collected from tens of millions of threat reports from over 4 million global Hoxhunt users—with U.S. tax authority impersonation campaigns increasing by over 400% compared to the baseline from the previous two years. Increase in phishing volume: 147.3% overall increase in malicious phishing emails reported by U.S. users during spring 2026 compared to prior periods. The tax-themed phishing attacks were unusually personalized and contextualized to blend into corporate workflows. 2026 Phishing Trends Report Hoxhunt's annual Phishing Trends Report provides the industry's chief reference point on real phishing attacks that bypass email filters, helping paint a clearer picture of evolving trends in the AI-boosted phishing landscape and its effect on human cyber behavior. Surge in AI-generated phishing attacks: Based on 4 million people's interactions with over 50 million phishing simulations and real attacks, Hoxhunt's 2026 data revealed a 14x end-of-year surge in AI-generated phishing attacks. Malicious attachments: 11% of AI phishing emails use malicious attachments. Malicious SVG files increased fifty-fold compared to previous years, comprising 5% of all malicious attachments. SVG files appear to be harmless graphics but can bypass many anti-spam email tools, making them an attractive technique for attackers. Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report For the second consecutive year, Hoxhunt contributed to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), which reveals the largest sources of data breaches over the last year. Hoxhunt's industry-leading research into emerging social engineering patterns and user behavior covers both simulated and real-world contexts. Story Continues View Comments Terms and Privacy Policy Privacy Dashboard