How does phishing differ from spam?

Intent differs fundamentally. Spam wants attention for commercial purposes, annoyance being the main harm. Phishing wants to damage victims through theft, fraud, or system compromise. Different intents require different responses.

Targeting differs. Spam is typically bulk, undifferentiated messaging. Sophisticated phishing targets specific individuals or organizations with researched, personalized attacks. The more targeted, the more dangerous.

Response differs. Spam is filtered and ignored; the harm is limited. Phishing requires active defense: detection, user education, incident response, and potentially law enforcement involvement. Treating phishing like spam understates the threat.