Inspiration
Phishing remains one of the most common entry points for cyberattacks, often fooling even tech-literate users. As cybersecurity students passionate about AI, we wanted to build a tool that not only detects phishing messages but also educates users on why a message might be suspicious — empowering people through AI.
What it does
Our system analyzes any email or message and determines whether it’s “Phishing” or “Safe.” It uses an AI model to explain the reasoning behind its judgment, increasing user awareness. The interface is simple — paste your message, click analyze, and get an instant verdict with an explanation.
How we built it
Frontend: Streamlit web app for user interaction
Backend: Python-based API using FastAPI
AI Component: Prompt-based classification using a large language model (LLM)
Bonus Features: Keyword highlighter for common phishing triggers (e.g., “urgent”, “verify”, “account”)
Challenges we ran into
Crafting prompts that consistently return accurate classifications from the LLM
Avoiding false positives for legitimate emails with urgency (e.g., job offers, password resets)
Managing API rate limits and fallback mechanisms when the AI service is down
Balancing accuracy, speed, and simplicity for real-time use
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Built a fully functional phishing detection system in limited time
Designed a prompt that performs consistently without fine-tuning
Created a solution that goes beyond detection — it teaches
Made the UI friendly and deployable locally
What we learned
The power of LLMs in real-world security applications
The importance of prompt engineering
How to explain technical AI decisions to non-technical users
That cybersecurity + AI is a perfect blend for innovation
What's next for AI-Powered Phishing Detection System
Integrate with Gmail and Outlook for real-time scanning
Add support for attachments and links
Expand to multilingual phishing detection
Build a dashboard for tracking phishing trends over time
Open-source it for educational and enterprise use
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