If only things were like the good old days. Back when phishing first appeared on the Internet horizon, it was used to steal AOL passwords and take over one's account. However, theft is not that simple these days. Phishers soon learned how to use social engineering techniques to get all sorts of financial and personal information, thus causing a huge problem for all types of business, as well as helping to create a rather large niche in the security industry.

Symantec has published a primer titled A Brief History of Phishing, Part I, which details the rise of the phisher and how it has affected individuals and businesses. It's interesting to read how phishing had humble-but-no-less-threatening roots.