Microsoft Leads Phishing Attacks in Q1 2025, Mastercard Re-enters Top 5

Check Point Research’s latest Brand Phishing Report for Q1 2025 reveals Microsoft remains the most impersonated brand in phishing campaigns, accounting for 36% of attacks. Mastercard re-entered the top five after a six-quarter absence, signaling renewed targeting of financial data. The findings highlight persistent threats across technology, finance, and retail sectors, with threat actors refining spoofing tactics.

Key Findings and Trends

The report analyzed thousands of phishing attempts between January and March 2025. Microsoft dominated with a 4% increase from Q4 2024, primarily through OneDrive credential harvesters mimicking domains like login.onedrive-micrasoft.com. Google rose to second place (12%), while Apple held third (8%). Mastercard’s resurgence at #5 (4%) was driven by fake payment portals targeting Japanese users, a shift from its 2023 campaign patterns^1,5.

Rank	Brand	Q1 2025 Share	Change vs. Q4 2024
1	Microsoft	36%	+4%
2	Google	12%	+0%
3	Apple	8%	-4%
4	Amazon	4%	New
5	Mastercard	4%	Return

Technical Analysis of Attack Patterns

Microsoft-themed campaigns predominantly used:

Fake Office 365 login pages with typosquatted domains (*.micrasoft.com)
OneDrive “file sharing” lures with malicious links
Azure service impersonation for corporate credential theft

Mastercard attacks employed HTTPS-enabled clones of regional banking portals, often bypassing traditional filters by using valid SSL certificates³. Check Point’s Omer Dembinsky noted these campaigns increasingly use geofencing to evade detection outside target regions⁵.

Mitigation Strategies

For organizations handling these brands’ services:

Implement DMARC/DKIM/SPF validation for all inbound emails
Deploy AI-based URL analysis tools to detect typosquatting
Monitor for SSL certificate requests matching internal branding

Financial institutions should prioritize user education on payment portal verification, as Mastercard-themed attacks often lack technical sophistication but exploit human trust^2,6.

Historical Context and Future Outlook

Microsoft has led phishing rankings for 11 consecutive quarters, reflecting its ubiquitous presence in enterprise environments. The Q1 2025 data shows a 14% year-over-year increase in technology sector targeting, correlating with cloud adoption rates⁸. Mastercard’s return suggests threat actors are cycling brands to circumvent user awareness campaigns.

Check Point anticipates continued growth in:

Regionalized financial phishing (e.g., localized Mastercard variants)
Multi-stage cloud service attacks (Azure → Office 365 → SharePoint)
QR code phishing (“Qishing”) as a mobile vector

Conclusion

The Q1 2025 phishing landscape demonstrates threat actors’ adaptability in brand selection and technical execution. While Microsoft remains the primary target, Mastercard’s re-emergence underscores the cyclical nature of phishing trends. Organizations should combine technical controls with continuous user training, particularly for finance and cloud service teams.