Spear Phishing – Why We Drive Without a Seatbelt On

Phishing is a type of social-engineering attack exploiting the gullible nature of human beings. Spear Phishing is a more targeted phishing, mostly, presenting from the senders whom the recipients know well or have business with. Both rely on the recipients being convinced that the emails are genuine and authentic. Both have been causing enormous damage, financially, politically, (personal) emotionally, and national safety. The technology of digitally signed email has been around for over 20 years, PGP from 1990s and S/MIME from 2000s, plus a few other choices. Yet, in general, the acceptance of digitally signed email is almost none. This project is aiming at finding out what are the reasons accountable for the low level of acceptance of this mature and effective measure which can significantly reduce spear phishing, towards elimination if all email services providers require email being digitally signed.