STUDY ON A DUAL DEFENSE MODEL AGAINST PHISHING ATTACKS: COMBINING AWARENESS TRAINING AND AUTOMATED DETECTION BASED ON AN OPEN-SOURCE ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

Phishing remains a major threat, exploiting the human factor. This study proposes a Dual Defense Model, combining user awareness enhancement through simulated attacks with technical defense via automated threat detection. Simulated campaigns are conducted using Gophish to assess user susceptibility, while N8N, integrated with APIs from VirusTotal and URLScan.io, detects and alerts on malicious URLs in real time. Results show that users remain vulnerable, but the N8N system provides timely and effective detection. The dual model offers a comprehensive, cost-efficient defense solution adaptable to increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks.