Cybersecurity has become more critical than ever in 2020. Thanks to advancements in technology, most people have access to a wide variety of online services that they can use from their phones, laptops, tablets, or even smart home devices. However, such accessibility has also led to the prevalence of cyberattacks, which are incredibly damaging to individuals and organisations.
Phishing attacks, in particular, are deadly. Apart from exploiting completely human errors, they also hijack brands and compromise their customers’ confidential information, which can do irreversible harm to your reputation.
How Phishing Occurs
Phishers spoof corporate email addresses, or create email accounts that resemble corporate ones, and use the business’s logos in their email messages to make them look authentic. Corporate branding convinces many recipients that they received a genuine email from a trusted company, making the phishers’ campaign incredibly effective. As a result, end-users are more likely to click on the attached malicious link and divulge sensitive information.
When people are fooled by phishing emails that utilise corporate branding, they tend to lose trust in that company. Defending your brand against phishing is now crucial to protecting your reputation, as it is notoriously difficult to rebuild trust with your customers.
Protecting Your Company from Brand Abuse
Cyberattack prevention has become among the top priorities of every enterprise. Protecting your business from brand abuse will help reduce cybercriminals’ chances of using your identity to phish unsuspecting recipients. That way, you can maintain a stellar reputation among your clients while safeguarding their information.
Although it is tough to prevent theft or use of your branding completely, you can take steps to take a more vigilant approach to how others use your branding online. Your company can monitor the Internet for copyright infringement of your brand by other firms or even lookalike brands that have copied your branding. You can also set up alerts to receive emails when someone creates a new website that abuses your brand.
Email Spoofing
Many phishers use email spoofing to trick people into thinking an email genuinely came from a trusted corporation. As the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) cannot verify an email’s sender, phishers can easily fake the “sent by” field of an email. Phishers are usually smart. They know how to use corporate branding and a masked hyperlink to earn the recipient’s trust; however, it becomes more difficult for customers to differentiate a phishing scam from a real email.
Fortunately, you can use Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) to protect your brand from phishing. It is now the industry standard for email authentication and can prevent the delivery of up to 99 percent of phishing emails. It also allows domain owners to have complete control over who can use their domains to send out emails.
Exploiting Your Website
Cybercriminals can go beyond email or website spoofing if they can easily access your own website or email accounts. Fortunately, you can beef up your domain and website’s security by seeking cyber intelligence companies’ advice, as they know the most secure ways to prevent unauthorised access.
Email or website compromises are less frequent than spoofing, as it is easier to control the security of your own assets than managing fake emails sent under your name. Make sure that you resolve all vulnerabilities of your website by keeping it up to date.
However, if your website is compromised, cybercriminals can publish a new page and upload a phishing kit. They can then use your company email account to redirect customers to the phished page, as it will be impossible for customers to realise that they received a phishing email.
Although it is getting difficult to distinguish phishing emails from genuine ones, your business can take measures to protect itself against phishing. Improving your security and consulting with cyber intelligence analysts will help you fortify your website and domain against hackers, helping you protect your reputation and customers from irreparable harm.
FraudWatch International is a leading online cybersecurity agency that has been protecting companies from brand abuse and cyber attacks for almost 20 years. With our flagship anti-phishing services, you can protect your brand and your customers. Contact us today to see how we can help!