Your business is assaulted by literally thousands of threats a day, so you install powerful security measures. Unfortunately, your network security doesn’t protect you from everything. Attacks like phishing scams can still bypass your security measures if you let them.
Spear Phishing
Hackers use phishing attacks to con your employees into handing over sensitive information. The victims click on legitimate-looking links which lead to malicious websites or malware-infected email attachments. Hackers disguise themselves as legitimate organizations, then perform targeted attacks using social engineering tactics; fancy language for a plain old con. Here are four ways your team can identify common phishing attempts:
Who’s Sending the Message?
Never trust an email from someone you don’t recognize, especially if they’re requesting sensitive information like your Social Security number or credit card number. Hover your mouse over their name to see if the domain matches their identity. Verify the sender by checking official company documentation.
Does the Email Demand Immediate Action?
Hackers try to rush you into giving up your information before you think to question them. Attackers will try to convince users that their response is of the utmost importance, and some will even offer incentives to “claim your prize NOW!” You’d be surprised at how many people actually fall for these cons, remember, if it’s that important, a professional will write or call, not email.
Are the URLs in the Email Legitimate?
Hackers will often use fake URLs to lure users to phony websites which may look legitimate at first glance, but have malicious forms to steal your information. Hover over URLs to ensure they are legitimate. If the site they’re posing as is one which normally has site encryption, look for [https://] in the link. If it doesn’t, try navigating to the official site in a separate browser window to ensure it’s legitimate.
Is the Message Just Plain Text?
Most organizations use a combination of images and HTML in their email messages. If a message you receive consists only of text and hyperlinks, you’ll know that something is wrong. Sometimes hackers will simply make the message a whole clickable image, so be careful when viewing questionable emails.
Get a Good Spam Blocking Solution and Stay Sharp
Of course, the best thing would be if phishing attacks never even reached your inbox. We wish that could happen, but hackers will never stop trying. We’re proud to say that Quikteks’s comprehensive spam blocking solution will screen out almost all phishing attacks, but it’s always best to approach any suspicious messages with skepticism.
Give us a call at (973) 882-4644 to find out how you can best protect your business from phishing attacks.