Considering available data and reports, it seems no business is entirely immune to cyberattacks. Both big brands and small businesses have suffered because of security breaches and data theft incidents, and in many cases, hackers have managed to bypass the existing security measures, often due to small lapses. A common & shared cyber security concern is phishing. In this post, we are discussing all that you need to know about preventing phishing attacks.
What exactly is phishing?
Simply put, phishing refers to various techniques that hackers use to steal sensitive & critical information. From credit card details to personal information, or sometimes simply to cause a malware attack, phishing scams can have varied purposes.
Steps to consider
- Find more information. Make sure that you are aware of hackers are using phishing to attack businesses. In most cases, users are tricked into passing sensitive information to hackers, through using fake sites. These are typically websites that have been designed for data harvesting. Another common technique that hackers use is malware, which the user is tricked into installing.
- Use antimalware & anti-phishing software. Using preventive steps like installing top-rated anti-phishing software and antimalware suite can help in identifying suspicious links, emails, and attachments. Your company can find many such software products designed for the purpose.
- Watch out for emails. Emails are often used to cause phishing attacks, and your employee need to keep an eye on suspicious keywords, links, and spellings. In most cases, there will be mistakes in website spellings and small errors, which may otherwise go unnoticed.
- Train your employees. If you want to avoid phishing, make sure that you have trained, aware employees, who are aware of your cybersecurity concerns and know what it takes to identify a suspicious email or links. Make sure they are known to the process of reporting about malware attacks.
- Stay active. Cybersecurity requires awareness and being proactive on all measures. Businesses need to ensure collaboration & coordination between teams and departments, so as to work together towards preventing cyberattacks and security breaches.
Final word
Phishing is global cybersecurity concern, and while a lot is being written about this, businesses are still falling prey to hackers. Ensure that you have a clear policy for cybersecurity, and make your employees responsible for their actions. They should be aware of their role is preventing phishing attacks, and how to handle an incident, before the cybersecurity team takes over.