12 Best Phishing Protection Software Solutions for Security Teams

Learn how to detect phishing domains before attackers weaponize them against your organization.

Phishing is the #1 initial attack vector, responsible for 16% of all breaches. The average phishing-originated breach costs $4.88 million (IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024).

Traditional email filters catch some attacks. But they miss the root of the problem: the malicious domains themselves.

By the time a phishing email hits someone’s inbox, the attacker already owns the lookalike domain and has the infrastructure running.

This post covers 12 phishing protection software solutions that catch threats before they reach your users.

What Is Phishing Protection Software?

When attackers want to steal credentials, they register domains that look almost identical to legitimate brands. These lookalike domains become the foundation for phishing campaigns, fake login pages, and business email compromise schemes.

Most security teams focus on email filtering, which catches phishing attempts after they’ve already reached users. Domain-focused phishing protection software takes a different approach: it finds the malicious infrastructure before attackers can exploit it.

These tools use several mechanisms:

• DNS monitoring tracks new domain registrations that match your brand name or common variations
• Certificate transparency logs reveal when SSL certificates are issued for lookalike domains
• Machine learning classification identifies domains likely to be used for phishing based on patterns
• Domain age analysis flags newly registered domains, since most phishing sites are days or weeks old

The result: catch the threat at the source rather than filtering individual emails.

Understanding what phishing protection software detects is useful, but knowing which features matter most will help you choose the right solution for your environment.

What Should You Look for in Phishing Protection Software?

Not all phishing protection software offers the same capabilities. When evaluating phishing detection tools, security teams should prioritize features that match their specific risk profile and operational capacity.

Real-time domain monitoring is critical. Attackers can register domains, launch campaigns, and disappear within hours. Tools that only scan weekly or monthly miss the window when intervention matters most.

Typosquatting and lookalike detection should cover multiple attack techniques. Basic tools check for simple misspellings (gooogle.com). Advanced tools also detect homoglyph attacks (using Cyrillic characters that look identical to Latin letters), combo-squatting (adding words like “login” or “secure”), and sound-alike domains.

Certificate transparency monitoring provides early warning. Before attackers can host a convincing phishing page, they typically need an SSL certificate. Certificate transparency logs are public records of every certificate issued, making them valuable for detection.

Automated takedown capabilities matter for enterprise teams. Finding a malicious domain is only half the battle. The ability to automatically submit abuse reports to registrars and hosting providers dramatically reduces the time attackers can operate.

API access enables integration with existing security workflows. Security teams that can feed domain intelligence into their SIEM, SOAR, or ticketing systems respond faster than those manually checking dashboards.

Dark web monitoring extends visibility beyond surface-level threats. Phishing kits, stolen credentials, and attack planning often appear on dark web forums before campaigns launch. Tools that monitor these sources provide additional lead time.

With these criteria in mind, here are the 12 best anti-phishing software solutions that security teams should evaluate.

What Is the Best Phishing Protection Software?

The tools below span four categories: enterprise domain monitoring platforms, phishing URL scanners, email security solutions with domain protection, and free or open-source options. Each serves different use cases and budgets.

Enterprise Domain Monitoring Platforms

These platforms provide full brand protection with automated detection and takedown capabilities.

1. Breachsense

Breachsense combines phishing domain detection with dark web monitoring to catch threats that other tools miss. The platform monitors for lookalike domains targeting your brand while simultaneously scanning dark web forums and marketplaces where phishing kits are sold and stolen credentials appear.

This dual approach addresses both sides of the phishing problem: detecting malicious domains before campaigns launch and identifying when credentials stolen through successful attacks surface in criminal channels. Security teams can reset compromised passwords before attackers exploit them.

The platform includes external attack surface management capabilities that identify forgotten domains, expired certificates, and other infrastructure gaps that attackers exploit. API integration enables automated workflows that feed threat data directly into existing security tools.

Breachsense fits organizations that want unified visibility across phishing infrastructure, dark web activity, and credential exposures rather than managing separate point solutions.

2. ZeroFox

ZeroFox provides broad digital risk protection that includes phishing domain monitoring as a core capability. The platform monitors for lookalike domains, typosquatting, and brand impersonation across surface web and dark web sources.

Key strengths include integration with their broader digital risk protection platform, automated takedown orchestration, and threat actor intelligence that provides context about who is targeting your brand.

ZeroFox works best for enterprises that need unified visibility across multiple digital risk categories rather than point solutions for each threat type.

3. Bolster AI

Bolster (formerly RedMarlin) specializes in AI-powered phishing detection with some of the fastest automated takedowns in the industry. Their platform claims an average takedown time of under two minutes for confirmed phishing sites.

The platform monitors for domain impersonation, phishing pages, fake mobile apps, and social media impersonation. Their CheckPhish product (covered below) provides a free entry point for organizations evaluating domain scanning capabilities.

Bolster fits organizations prioritizing speed of response. When a phishing domain goes live, every minute it operates increases the number of potential victims.

4. Fortra (PhishLabs)

Fortra acquired PhishLabs to add phishing detection to their security portfolio. PhishLabs offers managed brand protection services that include domain monitoring, takedowns, and threat intelligence.

The managed service model means PhishLabs analysts handle investigation and takedown requests rather than your security team. This approach works well for organizations without dedicated brand protection staff.

PhishLabs also provides intelligence on threat actors targeting your industry, helping security teams understand patterns beyond individual domains.

Detecting phishing domains is one capability. For security teams handling day-to-day operations, URL scanners provide quick verification of suspicious links.

Phishing URL Scanners and Checkers

These tools analyze individual URLs and domains for phishing indicators. They’re useful for security operations and incident response.

5. CheckPhish (by Bolster)

CheckPhish is a free phishing URL scanner that analyzes domains for malicious intent. Enter a URL and the tool returns a risk assessment based on multiple factors including domain age, SSL configuration, page content, and known phishing patterns.

The tool also generates domain permutations to show typosquatting variations of any domain you own. This helps security teams understand their attack surface before registering defensive domains.

CheckPhish works well for ad-hoc analysis during incident response or security awareness training demonstrations. For continuous monitoring, Bolster’s paid platform provides ongoing coverage.

6. EasyDMARC Phishing Link Checker

EasyDMARC offers a free URL scanner as part of their email authentication platform. The tool checks URLs against known phishing databases, analyzes domain characteristics, and provides a risk score.

The integration with EasyDMARC’s DMARC monitoring platform makes it useful for organizations already using their email authentication tools. URL scanning becomes part of a broader email security workflow.

7. PhishTool

PhishTool provides email and URL analysis capabilities for security operations teams. The platform parses email headers, analyzes URLs, and extracts indicators of compromise from suspected phishing messages.

The community edition offers free analysis for individual emails. The professional version adds automation, integration APIs, and team collaboration features.

PhishTool works best for security teams that receive user-reported phishing emails and need to analyze them efficiently.

Email security platforms also play a role in phishing defense, though their primary focus differs from domain-specific tools.

Email Security with Domain Protection

These platforms focus on email filtering but include domain monitoring and brand protection features.

8. Proofpoint

Proofpoint’s email security platform includes domain monitoring capabilities through their Targeted Attack Protection (TAP) product. The platform identifies lookalike domains used in attacks targeting your organization.

Proofpoint’s strength is correlating domain intelligence with email threat data. When a phishing email arrives, the platform can show whether it originated from a known-bad domain or a newly registered lookalike.

For organizations already using Proofpoint for email security, adding domain monitoring provides integrated visibility without deploying separate tools.

9. Mimecast

Mimecast offers Brand Exploit Protect as part of their email security suite. The feature monitors for domains impersonating your brand and provides takedown orchestration.

The platform scans for typosquatting, homoglyph attacks, and similar-looking domains. Integration with Mimecast’s email gateway means domain threats can trigger policy updates automatically.

Like Proofpoint, Mimecast fits organizations seeking integrated email and domain protection rather than best-of-breed point solutions.

10. Abnormal Security

Abnormal Security uses behavioral AI to detect email attacks, including those from lookalike domains. Rather than relying solely on threat feeds, the platform learns normal communication patterns and flags anomalies.

This approach catches attacks from newly registered domains that haven’t appeared in threat intelligence yet. The tradeoff is that detection happens at the email level rather than proactively at the domain level.

Abnormal suits organizations prioritizing email security with domain awareness as a secondary benefit.

Not every organization needs enterprise platforms. Open-source tools provide capable alternatives for teams with technical expertise.

Free and Open-Source Domain Monitoring

These tools offer domain permutation detection without licensing costs. They require more technical setup but provide transparency and flexibility.

11. dnstwist

dnstwist is an open-source domain permutation engine that generates variations of any domain name. It checks which permutations are registered and flags those hosting content, mail servers, or suspicious configurations.

The tool generates permutations using multiple techniques: character substitution, keyboard typos, homoglyphs, bit-flipping, and hyphenation. Running dnstwist against your primary domains reveals the attack surface you should monitor.

dnstwist runs from command line and integrates into automated workflows through scripting. Security teams comfortable with Python can extend its capabilities or integrate it with existing monitoring infrastructure.

The tool is available on GitHub.

12. URLScan.io

URLScan.io provides free URL and domain analysis with detailed technical breakdowns. Submit a URL and the service loads the page in a sandboxed browser, capturing screenshots, network requests, cookies, and JavaScript behavior.

The platform maintains a searchable database of scanned URLs, making it useful for threat research and identifying phishing campaigns targeting multiple organizations. Security teams can search for domains similar to their brand to find active threats.

URLScan.io works well for detailed technical analysis during incident investigation and for monitoring broader phishing trends affecting your industry.

Phishing domain detection addresses one attack vector, but phishing protection software connects to broader threats that extend beyond domain registrations.

How Does Phishing Protection Connect to Dark Web Monitoring?

Phishing domains don’t operate in isolation. They’re part of attack infrastructure that often appears across multiple channels, including dark web marketplaces and forums where cybercriminals trade tools and stolen data.

The connection between phishing and dark web activity works in both directions.

Before attacks launch, threat actors often discuss targets, share phishing kits, and coordinate campaigns on dark web forums. Monitoring these channels can reveal attacks in the planning stage before domains are even registered.

After successful phishing attacks, stolen credentials appear for sale on dark web marketplaces. Detecting these listings confirms that employees or customers fell victim to phishing, triggering credential reset procedures before attackers use the stolen data.

Phishing-as-a-service platforms on the dark web provide turnkey attack infrastructure. These services include pre-built phishing pages, hosting, and sometimes domain registration. Tracking these services helps security teams understand emerging attack techniques.

Compromised credential monitoring complements phishing protection software by addressing the aftermath of successful attacks. When credentials stolen through phishing appear in dark web datasets, security teams can force password resets before account takeover occurs.

According to the SpyCloud Identity Threat Report 2025, phishing was the leading entry point for ransomware attacks, with 38% of organizations reporting phishing as their most damaging attack type.

Understanding how these tools work together helps, but practical implementation requires a structured approach.

How Do You Implement Phishing Protection Software?

Installing phishing protection software is just the start. You need processes that turn alerts into action.

Step 1: List your domains and brand terms

Start by listing every domain your organization owns, including primary domains, regional variations, product-specific domains, and any domains acquired through mergers. Include brand names, product names, and common abbreviations that attackers might impersonate.

This inventory becomes the seed list for permutation monitoring. Missing a domain means missing a potential attack vector.

Step 2: Set up permutation monitoring

Using tools like dnstwist or enterprise platforms, generate permutations for each domain in your inventory. Prioritize monitoring based on brand value and customer exposure. Your primary customer-facing domains deserve more attention than internal project domains.

Consider defensive registration for high-risk permutations. Some organizations preemptively register common misspellings to prevent attackers from acquiring them.

Step 3: Configure certificate transparency alerts

Certificate transparency logs record every SSL certificate issued. Services like crt.sh or enterprise monitoring platforms can alert when certificates are issued for domains matching your brand patterns.

Attackers need valid certificates to run convincing phishing pages. Certificate issuance often precedes active phishing by hours or days, providing a detection window.

Step 4: Establish takedown procedures

Detection without response achieves nothing. Before threats appear, establish relationships with registrars, hosting providers, and takedown services. Document the process for submitting abuse reports and escalating when initial requests are ignored.

Many phishing sites use bulletproof hosting designed to ignore takedown requests. Understanding which providers cooperate and which don’t helps prioritize response efforts.

Step 5: Monitor dark web for phishing-related activity

Extend monitoring beyond domain registrations to include dark web sources where phishing tools are sold and stolen credentials appear. This provides both early warning of planned attacks and confirmation of successful ones.

Integration between phishing protection software and data breach detection creates a complete picture of threats targeting your organization.

Step 6: Measure and refine

Track metrics including domains detected, takedown success rates, time from detection to takedown, and credential exposures linked to phishing. Use this data to identify gaps in coverage and prioritize improvements.

Phishing tactics evolve constantly. What works today may not detect tomorrow’s techniques. Regular review ensures your monitoring keeps pace with attacker innovation.

Conclusion

Phishing remains one of the most effective attack techniques because it exploits human trust rather than technical vulnerabilities. Domain-level phishing protection software shifts the advantage back to defenders by identifying attack infrastructure before it reaches users.

The tools covered here range from free open-source options like dnstwist to full-featured enterprise platforms. The right choice depends on your organization’s size, technical capacity, and risk profile. Small teams can start with free tools and grow into managed services as needs expand.

Whatever phishing protection software you select, the key is proactive monitoring. Catching a phishing domain days before the campaign launches gives your security team time to respond. Discovering it after credentials are stolen only enables damage control.

For organizations concerned about what happens when phishing attacks succeed, check your exposure to see if employee or customer credentials have already appeared in dark web datasets.