---
title: "Phishing Attacks Get Really Scary When They Stop Attacking People and Start Attacking Systems | Phish Protection"
description: "When you think about phishing attacks, most people think the ultimate goal is to get the victim"
image: "https://phishprotection.com/og/blog/phishing-attacks-get-really-scary-when-they-stop-attacking-people-and-start-attacking-systems.png"
canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-get-really-scary-when-they-stop-attacking-people-and-start-attacking-systems/"
---

Quick Answer

When you think about phishing attacks, most people think \_the ultimate goal is to get the victim's credentials and use them to possibly impersonate them or steal their money\_. And mostly, that's true. We hardly ever think that the ultimate target of a \*\*phishing attack\*\* might be an inanimate object. But more and more it's becoming the case. And it's getting pretty frightening.

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![Phish Protection blog post image](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/02/how-to-prevent-phishing-1175.jpg) 

When you think about phishing attacks, most people think _the ultimate goal is to get the victim’s credentials and use them to possibly impersonate them or steal their money_. And mostly, that’s true. We hardly ever think that the ultimate target of a **phishing attack** might be an inanimate object. But more and more it’s becoming the case. And it’s getting pretty frightening.

There’s a [report](https://www.securityweek.com/operations-us-natural-gas-facilities-disrupted-ransomware-attack) out this week that “A ransomware infection at a natural gas compression facility in the United States resulted in a two-day operational shutdown of an entire pipeline asset, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed on Tuesday.”

The agency said “_the attackers used spear-phishing to gain initial access to the facility’s IT network, after which they managed to make their way to the OT network_. The hackers then deployed **commodity ransomware** that encrypted files to Windows machines on both the IT and OT networks.”

_Natural gas stopped moving because of a phishing attack at a compression facility_. According to the article, “A compression facility helps transport natural gas from one location to another through a pipeline. Natural gas needs to be highly pressurized during transportation, and compression facilities along the pipeline help ensure that it remains pressurized.”

![How to prevent phishing](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/02/how-to-prevent-phishing-1175.jpg) 

How important is natural gas to our everyday lives? Well **85% is used** for electric power, transportation and home heating. In other words, without natural gas, most people would be sitting in cold, dark homes with no internet. _You probably don’t think about that when you think of phishing attacks_.

This isn’t the [first time](https://www.securityweek.com/several-us-gas-pipeline-firms-affected-cyberattack) gas pipeline firms were **affected by a cyberattack**. And it’s not just gas pipelines. Another [story](https://www.securityweek.com/vulnerabilities-allow-hackers-access-honeywell-fire-alarm-systems) this week details how “_Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers to Access Honeywell Fire Alarm Systems_.” Fire alarms!

In some ways it’s surprising that these critical infrastructure companies have not yet taken advantage of low-cost, easy-to-deploy email security like that available from [PhishProtection.com](/). Afterall, what these attacks have in common is that they begin with an employee clicking on a link in an email they shouldn’t have. And **Phish Protection** keeps that from happening.

No matter what it costs to protect one of these companies from phishing attacks, it would be worth it, given how critical they are. And yet, _protection only costs pennies per employee per month_. I wonder how much it cost to shut down that pipeline for a few days?

Whether your organization is part of critical infrastructure or not, _there’s just no excuse today to fall victim to a phishing attack_. [Phish Protection](/) requires no hardware, software or maintenance and sets up in just 10 minutes. _It works with all mail services, comes with 24/7 technical support_ and you can try it **risk free** for 30 days. Don’t wait until your cold and in the dark. Get Phish Protection today.

## Topics

[ Phishing ](/tags/phishing/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across DuoCircle's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Protect your inbox from phishing attacks

Real-time email security with 60-day free trial. No credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://portal.duocircle.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=101&brand=phishprotection) [View Pricing](/pricing/) 

## Related Articles

[  Foundational 5m  0ktapus, Okta Breach Helps Attackers Launch Sophisticated Supply Chain Attacks  Sep 5, 2022 ](/blog/0ktapus-okta-breach-helps-attackers-launch-sophisticated-supply-chain-attacks/)[  Foundational 4m  13 Spear Phishing Attacks Examples To Justify Investment For Phishing Prevention Solutions In Your Organization  Aug 1, 2019 ](/blog/13-spear-phishing-attacks-examples-to-justify-investment-for-phishing-prevention-solutions-in-your-organization/)[  Foundational 4m  All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack, Major outage in the Ohio medical center  May 23, 2025 ](/blog/14-centers-of-kettering-health-were-affected-by-massive-ransomware-attack-in-ohio-medical-center/)[  Foundational 4m  2021 Phishing Trends You Need To Be Wary Of  Aug 2, 2021 ](/blog/2021-phishing-trends-to-be-wary-of/)

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