Why CISOs Should Hunt Phishing Campaigns, Not Just Emails

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-30

If you're a CISO, you know the feeling. Your inbox is a war zone, and every day brings a fresh wave of alerts. Each one screams for attention. But here's the thing: most of those alerts are just indicators of compromise, or IOCs. They're individual emails, each one a tiny piece of a much larger puzzle. And if you're only looking at the emails, you're missing the bigger picture. The real threat isn't a single phishing email. It's the entire campaign behind it. That's the key insight from Cofense, a company that specializes in phishing detection and response. They argue that CISOs need to shift their mindset from chasing individual emails to understanding the campaigns that spawn them. This isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a fundamental shift that can improve visibility, speed up response times, and—most importantly—save your analysts from burning out. ### The Problem with IOC Fatigue Let's talk about IOC fatigue. It's a real phenomenon, and it's draining your team. When your security operations center (SOC) is flooded with thousands of alerts, each one tied to a single email, your analysts get numb. They start to tune out. They might even miss the one alert that actually matters because they've seen so many false positives. The result? A slower response to real threats and a team that's mentally exhausted. Think of it like this: if you're a lifeguard and every wave looks the same, you stop noticing the swimmer who's actually drowning. The noise drowns out the signal. That's what IOC fatigue does to your security team. ### Why Campaigns Matter More Than Emails So, what's the alternative? Instead of focusing on the individual email, you need to step back and look at the entire campaign. A phishing campaign is a coordinated effort. It has a goal, a target audience, and a set of tactics. By identifying the campaign, you can see the patterns. You can understand the attacker's strategy. And that gives you a massive advantage. Here's why this shift is so powerful: - **Better Visibility:** When you track campaigns, you see the whole attack surface, not just isolated incidents. You can spot trends and anticipate the next move. - **Faster Response:** Instead of responding to each email individually, you can neutralize the entire campaign at once. That's a huge time saver. - **Reduced Analyst Fatigue:** Your team isn't chasing ghosts. They're working on strategic problems, not drowning in a sea of alerts. That keeps them engaged and sharp. ### How to Start Thinking in Campaigns Making this shift isn't just about changing your tools; it's about changing your mindset. Start by asking your team a different question. Instead of "What do we do with this email?" ask "What is this email part of?" That simple question can unlock a whole new way of thinking. You also need the right data. Look for patterns in the metadata. Where are the emails coming from? What are the common themes? Are they targeting specific departments? Once you start connecting those dots, you'll see the campaign emerge from the chaos. > "The goal isn't to catch every single email. The goal is to understand the campaign so you can stop it before it does damage." ### The Payoff for Your Team When you make this shift, the benefits are tangible. Your analysts will spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on high-value analysis. They'll feel like they're making a real difference, not just clearing a queue. And your overall security posture will improve because you're addressing the root cause, not just the symptoms. It's not easy to break old habits. But if you want to protect your organization and keep your team sane, it's a change worth making. The future of phishing defense isn't about individual emails. It's about campaigns. And the sooner you embrace that, the better off you'll be.