CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes

CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes
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Thursday, October 23, 2025

What Is Gophish? Open-Source Phishing Framework Explained

 Gophish

Gophish is an open-source phishing framework designed to help organizations and security professionals simulate real-world phishing attacks. It’s widely used for security awareness training, red team operations, and testing email defenses.

Key Features of Gophish
1. Phishing Campaign Management
  • Create and manage multiple phishing campaigns.
  • Schedule campaigns and track delivery, opens, clicks, and submitted credentials.
2. Email Templates
  • Build custom HTML or plain-text email templates.
  • Include dynamic fields (e.g., recipient name) for personalized phishing messages.
3. Landing Pages
  • Clone real websites or create custom landing pages.
  • Capture credentials or other user input for analysis.
4. User Groups
  • Import target lists via CSV or manually add users.
  • Organize targets into groups for segmented campaigns.
5. Real-Time Reporting
  • View campaign results in real time.
  • Track metrics like email opened, link clicked, data submitted, and browser used.
6. API Access
  • RESTful API for automation and integration with other tools.
  • Useful for large-scale or continuous testing environments.
Ethical Use and Considerations
  • Authorization Required: Gophish should only be used in environments where you have explicit permission.
  • Training Tool: Ideal for educating employees about phishing risks and improving response behavior.
  • Data Privacy: Ensure captured data is handled securely and ethically.
Example Workflow
1. Set up Gophish server (usually on a local or cloud-hosted machine).
2. Create an email template that mimics a legitimate service (e.g., Office 365).
3. Design a landing page that looks like a login form.
4. Upload a list of targets (e.g., employees).
5. Launch the campaign and monitor results.
6. Analyze data to identify users who clicked or submitted credentials.

Technical Details
  • Written in: Go (Golang)
  • Platform: Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)
  • Interface: Web-based dashboard
  • License: MIT

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