As digital capabilities are growing more sophisticated by the day, so are cyber attacks. They’ve evolved to become more targeted than ever before, making all types of businesses vulnerable to them. To prevent your business from falling victim to cyber attacks, you must learn how to protect your employees from phishing threats and invest in cyber attack prevention.
Although many organisations today have beefy security systems in place, these sometimes quickly fall apart when advanced hackers bypass your defenses. Once they have access to your system, they can easily trick your employees into divulging confidential information, which they can use with malicious intent. Since over 90 percent of successful cyber attacks occur from employees unknowingly volunteering information to hackers, it’s crucial to reinforce your security. Here are four phishing prevention tips for practicing:
1. Analyse the Validity of the URL
One of the most common ways hackers successfully phish an organisation is through creating believable emails that coax the recipient to click on a malicious link. If you receive a suspicious email, be sure to check the URL before clicking on anything. You can do this by hovering over the link, which usually displays the full hyperlinked address. If the URL does not correspond to the indicated address, the email is likely to be fraudulent.
2. Watch Out For Poor Grammar and Spelling Mistakes
Another clear sign that you’ve received a phishing email is if it’s rife with poor grammar and spelling errors. Official organisations are prudent in all their correspondence, and they pay special attention to the structure of their messaging. They typically go through several edits and checks as well to make sure they convey the intended message. However, phishing emails just want you to click on a URL that will make you reveal private information, so they usually don’t care or know enough about the structure of official messages. If you spot any errors, it’s very likely a phishing email.
3. Be Doubtful of Emails That Request Personal Information
Credible, reputable companies will never ask for your personal information over email. Details like your account number, banking details, or passwords are usually requested in person or over the phone for safety and security reasons. If you receive an email that asks you to supply this kind of information, delete it right away. You can also call the company to verify if they sent out such communication.
4. Don’t Respond to Emails That Require Immediate Action
The more urgent the email sounds, the more likely it’s a phishing email. People tend not to think clearly when panicking or responding to urgent matters, which hackers and phishers rely on to get the information they need. If you receive an email that requires an instant response, contact the company through their official telephone number or website and verify the request. Emails with time-bound events have the highest response rates, so be wary when you receive this type of correspondence. Reputable companies often give their customers enough time to respond to something, making such urgent messages even more dubious.
Phishing prevention is crucial to every business, as any organisation can fall victim to it if they aren’t careful. Some of the most alert minds have almost become victims of such scams, demonstrating hackers’ growing sophistication. By keeping these four anti-phishing tips in mind, you can protect your business from digital threat intelligence.
FraudWatch International is a leading online cybersecurity agency that offers security intelligence services, anti-phishing solutions, cyber attack prevention, and many more. We have protected businesses from malware, phishing, social media and mobile apps impersonation, and many more. Contact us today to find out how we can save your company from cyber attacks.