5 email security trends from 2025

As the year transitions between the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the preliminary findings from the upcoming 2026 email security report highlight several significant trends in email threats. Notably, there has been a dramatic 22-fold increase in ICS phishing attacks, which exploit default calendar automations to bypass email security measures. Malware attacks are evolving with a focus on behavioral evasions, leveraging tactics like social engineering and time-based delivery, possibly aided by generative AI. QR code-based attacks surged by nearly 300% in 2025, exploiting their ability to bypass traditional email security and target mobile devices. The use of lesser-known hosting services for Living Off Trust Sites (LOTS) attacks is growing, with about 25% originating from these platforms, often utilizing page and form builders or collaboration services. Additionally, the report notes the emergence of massive email bomb attacks, likened to a DDoS for inboxes, with the largest detected consisting of over 10,000 messages designed to overwhelm and obscure malicious activities. The full report, available on January 21, promises further insights into these evolving threats.