Microsoft targeted in 33% of brand phishing attacks

Microsoft has become the primary target for brand impersonation phishing attacks, accounting for 33% of all such attempts in the third quarter of 2026. This represents a significant increase from 23% in the previous quarter and is approximately four times the frequency of any other brand. Researchers note that attackers prioritize Microsoft because stolen credentials can grant access to entire corporate environments, including email, files, and collaboration tools.

Apple and Google followed Microsoft with 8% of impersonation attempts each. Other frequently targeted brands include LinkedIn, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Dropbox, WhatsApp, and Adobe.

Cybercriminals are also evolving their tactics by impersonating AI and developer platforms. Recent examples include phishing emails using Anthropic’s Claude branding to claim payment failures, and the registration of websites mimicking Google’s Antigravity platform. Additionally, attackers have used fake Apple support pages to trick users into running terminal commands or installing remote-access software under the guise of performance improvements.