Phishing is no longer just a problem of suspicious emails and obvious spelling mistakes. Today, attackers use convincing messages, fake websites, social engineering and increasingly sophisticated AI tools to trick people into revealing passwords, personal data and other sensitive information.
That is why the Phishing Training by ICANN EURALO for IGF DC-DDHT is a timely and valuable event for anyone involved in internet governance, digital policy, civil society, technology, education or online safety. The session is designed to build practical awareness and help participants respond more confidently to phishing attempts.
Event Details at a Glance
- Event: Phishing Training by ICANN EURALO for IGF DC-DDHT
- Date: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
- Time: 17:00 UTC
- Format: Online capacity-building webinar
- Host: IGF Dynamic Coalition on Data and Digital Health Technologies (DC-DDHT)
- Training team: ICANN EURALO trainers
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is a form of social engineering in which criminals impersonate trusted people, organisations or services. Their goal is to persuade a target to click a malicious link, open an unsafe attachment, share credentials, transfer money or disclose personal information.
Common phishing examples include:
- Fake password-reset or account-verification messages
- Imitation emails from banks, platforms or public institutions
- Fraudulent event-registration links
- Messages pretending to come from colleagues or senior officials
- Fake invoices, payment requests and delivery notices
- Malicious QR codes and social-media direct messages
What Participants Can Expect
According to the event announcement, the session will focus on recognising phishing attempts, understanding the tactics attackers use to harvest credentials and personal data, and learning practical steps that individuals and organisations can take to protect themselves.
Recognising warning signs
Participants can learn to identify urgency, unusual requests, suspicious links, unexpected attachments and messages that create fear or pressure.
Understanding attacker tactics
The training can help explain how criminals use impersonation, trust, urgency and personal information to make scams appear legitimate.
Protecting personal and organisational data
Good habits such as using unique passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, updating devices and verifying requests through trusted channels can reduce risk.
Responding instead of reacting
The most important habit is to pause. Do not click, reply or share information until the request has been independently verified.
Why AI Makes Phishing More Challenging
Artificial intelligence is changing the phishing landscape. Attackers can use AI-assisted tools to create polished messages, translate scams into different languages and personalise content for specific targets. This means that grammar, design and tone are no longer reliable indicators of legitimacy.
A safer approach is to verify the sender, inspect the complete domain name, avoid unexpected attachments and access important services through a trusted bookmark or official app. Even a website using HTTPS may be fraudulent, so encryption alone should never be treated as proof of trust.
The Internet Governance Connection
Phishing is not only an individual cybersecurity issue. It also affects trust in the digital ecosystem. When users lose confidence in email, websites, online services or digital health platforms, participation and access suffer.
Capacity-building initiatives such as the Phishing Training by ICANN EURALO for IGF DC-DDHT support a broader internet governance goal: creating a safer, more resilient and more inclusive digital environment. Awareness, cooperation and shared responsibility are essential because no single organisation can solve online abuse alone.
Practical Habits to Start Using Today
- Pause before clicking links in unexpected messages.
- Check the full domain name, not just the logo or display name.
- Verify unusual requests through a separate communication channel.
- Use a password manager and avoid reusing passwords.
- Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Keep operating systems, browsers and security tools updated.
- Report suspicious messages to the relevant platform or IT team.
- If you entered credentials on a fake site, change the password immediately and notify the responsible organisation.
Meet the Trainers and Host
The event announcement lists Maciek Piasecki, EURALO Training Lead; Suncica Rosic, EURALO; and Mohammad Atif, EURALO, as trainers. The session is hosted by Amali De Silva-Mitchell, Chair of IGF DC-DDHT.
Final Thoughts: Awareness Is Your First Line of Defence
Phishing attacks succeed when people are rushed, distracted or unsure what to look for. Training helps turn uncertainty into confidence. By learning how scams work and practicing simple verification steps, participants can protect themselves, their organisations and the wider digital community.
Do not wait until a phishing attack affects you or your organisation. Join the Phishing Training by ICANN EURALO for IGF DC-DDHT on 15 September 2026 at 17:00 UTC. Take part, ask questions, share the lessons with your colleagues and make phishing awareness a regular part of your digital safety routine.
Explore the event resources and stay informed through the Internet Society’s coverage of phishing-related activities.
Event Resources
Internet Society News: https://news.internetsociety.org/webinar-15-sep-1700-utc-phishing-training-by-icann-euralo-for-igf-dc-ddht/
ISOC Live – Phishing resources: https://isoc.live/tag/phiishing/
Dipankar Barua is an internet governance advocate from Dhaka, Bangladesh, who believes that voices from the Global South must be heard in the rooms where the internet’s future is decided. As an ICANN advocate and VSIG member, he actively engages in multistakeholder policy processes spanning DNS security, digital inclusion, and responsible AI governance. With an academic grounding in Computer Science and AI, and over 15 years of applied IT experience, Dipankar bridges the gap between technical communities and policy spaces — writing, participating, and advocating for a more open, equitable, and inclusive internet for all.
