Phishing attacks remain the most prevalent type of cybercrime for a simple reason: they’re effective. Every day, over 3.4 billion spam emails flood the inboxes of unsuspecting users. Phishing has held its place as the top method of attack for years because it’s easy to execute, scale, and continues to deceive people. With AI tools like ChatGPT, cybercriminals are now able to craft emails that look and sound even more authentic, making it harder to spot a scam. The consequences of phishing can be severe if you aren’t vigilant.
As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and with phishing emails being a leading cause of cyberattacks, we’ve created this straightforward guide to help you and your team recognize phishing emails and understand why it’s so crucial to do so.
What’s at stake? Here are 4 major risks linked to phishing attacks:
Data Breaches
Phishing can expose sensitive company information to cybercriminals. Once accessed, hackers may sell the data on the dark web or demand ransom for its return – but there’s no guarantee they’ll return it. This can lead to costly financial, legal, and reputational damage, along with a loss of customer trust.
Financial Loss
Many phishing scams aim to directly steal money. Whether through fraudulent invoices or unauthorized transactions, falling prey to these attacks can have a significant impact on your company’s financial health.
Malware Infections
Phishing emails often contain malicious links or attachments that, when opened, can infect your systems with malware. This can disrupt your business operations, result in data loss, and lead to expensive recovery efforts.
Compromised Accounts
If employees are tricked by phishing emails, their accounts can be taken over by attackers. This allows cybercriminals to launch further attacks or access sensitive company information.
The dangers don’t end there, but the good news is that there are steps you can take to avoid falling victim to phishing attacks. Stay alert, stay informed, and take proactive measures to protect your business.
Here is the S.E.C.U.R.E. Method you and your employees can use to help identify phishing e-mails.
P: Pause and think before clicking: Is it odd? (e.g., “FWD: FWD: FWD: review immediately”)
R: Review the sender’s details: Do you recognize the person? Is the e-mail address unusual? (e.g., spelled differently) or unknown (not the one they usually send from)?
O: Observe for suspicious content: Is the salutation unusual or generic? (e.g., “Hello Ma’am!”)
T: Test links without clicking: Use a link scanning service like SpartanTec’s preferred solution of email threat protection.
E: Evaluate attachments carefully: Hover over links before you click them to check the address, and do not open attachments from anyone you don’t know or weren’t expecting to receive mail from.
C: Check for spelling errors or unusual requests: Are there grammatical mistakes or odd misspellings?
T: Take action by reporting suspicious emails: Always be vigilant. Your I.T. team would rather you be cautious and proactive rather than sorry and have to clean up after a mistake.
It’s also important to have a cybersecurity expert monitor your network and eliminate e-mail spam before your employees can make a mistake. Make sure you’re taking proper precautions to protect your network. These phishing attacks work and happen all the time. We don’t want YOU to be the next victim.
If you need help training your team on cybersecurity best practices or implementing a robust cybersecurity system, or just want a second set of eyes to examine what you currently have in place and assess if there are any vulnerabilities, we are ready to help. Call us at 843-418-4792 or click https://www.spartantec.com/discoverycall/ to book a call with our team.
