Cyber attacks are one of the biggest threats facing businesses. It seems like every few weeks a major global company is hacked.
For example Toyota was hacked in March 2019. The data breach was so significant that over 3 million customers were affected. Even the United States federal government has been hacked.
Phishing is one of the most common techniques that hackers use. Read on to learn everything you need to know about phishing prevention. Explore cybersecurity strategies that will help your business stop phishing attacks in their tracks.
Phishing Definition
Before explaining how to stop phishing it is important to understand exactly what it is. Phishing is an attempt made by hackers to acquire personally identifiable information (PII).
Specifically they are looking for information like date of birth social security number and home address. Hackers attempt to get this information using deceptive e-mail practices.
They masquerade as a professional and send e-mails that appear authentic. For example you may receive an e-mail that appears to be from your bank asking for PII.
In some cases the corrupted e-mail asks recipients to click on a hyperlink. Dangerous ransomware is embedded in these hyperlinks and spreads to the recipient’s computer and network.
Employee Training
You cannot prevent phishing without a vigilant workforce. It is imperative to train your workforce to spot suspicious e-mails and delete them immediately.
For starters your employees need to be trained not to click on hyperlinks from untrusted sources. In addition employees should also be taught what constitutes PII. Also they should know what PII should not be digitally shared.
There are some other best practices for your employees to implement. They should not open attachments from untrusted sources either. Also employees can verify the real location of a hyperlink by holding the mouse over it and not clicking.
Filtering E-mails and Websites
It is naïve to believe that your employees will never make a mistake. This is why it is important to take action from the other end.
Your company should invest in anti-phishing software to help prevent cyber attacks. There are many different software products that are commercially available.
This software works to identify phishing e-mails. It then directs suspicious e-mail to the spam account as a red flag. There are also web filters that automatically block malicious websites.
Other Tips
There are several policies and procedures that can reduce risk. One thing your employees can do is not access any public networks from a work asset.
Another tip is to block pop-ups that work in the same way as phishing emails. Pop-ups commonly tell viewers that they won a prize in an attempt to acquire PII or get the user to click on a hyperlink.
From a security tool perspective your company should make sure all software includes the latest patches. Also make sure antivirus software is installed and scans performed routinely.
A Recap of Phishing Prevention
In order to avoid a catastrophic data breach it is imperative to prevent phishing attacks. This can be done by employing the right software and training your employees.
If your company needs help with phishing prevention contact us today for assistance.
