Art Of The Phish - Cynfeld #8
Episode 8 Synopsis
Colman has a hilarious but frustrating phishing awareness briefing, complete with deep fakes and double meanings!
Summary of the Animated Short
This animated cyber comedy dives into the many flavors of phishing attacks, with a hilarious office setting that makes cybersecurity training both educational and entertaining. The presenter attempts to brief a disengaged group of coworkers about phishing threats, but is constantly interrupted by confusion and jokes.
The breakdown starts with whaling, which targets high-level executives—prompting a comical misunderstanding about body image. Spear phishing follows, described as attacks impersonating trusted individuals, but one employee suggests issuing literal spears for defense. The team then learns about clone phishing, where attackers send nearly identical emails with malicious links, which sparks jokes about cloning coworkers.
Smishing—phishing through SMS—is introduced with a Netflix-themed scam that a clueless employee fell for mid-meeting. Then comes vishing, or video-based phishing, demonstrated by a deepfake impersonation used to request wire transfers, confusing employees about what’s real. VPN myths are busted next, with a metaphor comparing bad decisions online to carrying candy in an unlocked briefcase.
Finally, the team is warned about watering hole attacks, which infect popular websites rather than literal break room coffee machines—though decaf sabotage seems more worrying to them.
The session ends with the trainer’s exasperated threat to send a video instead—knowing it’ll just be mistaken for another phishing attempt.