Research from the Fortra Intelligence and Research Experts (FIRE) team was featured in Unite.AI, highlighting a 475% increase in phishing campaigns that abuse legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools. The research, conducted by Max Ickert, Threat Researcher at Fortra, examines how attackers combine trusted remote-access software with social engineering tactics to gain control of victim devices, particularly in banking-focused scams. The findings underscore the need for organizations to verify remote-support requests and strengthen controls around authorized remote-access sessions.
"Through the first nine months of 2026, the company recorded 475% more such attacks than during all of 2025, with North American financial institutions and commercial banking accounts a particular focus."