Phishing attacks remain the most prevalent form of cybercrime for a simple reason: they are effective. Every day, more than 3.4 billion spam emails flood into unsuspecting users' inboxes. Phishing emails have consistently ranked as the most frequent type of cyber attack because they are easy to execute, scale effortlessly, and continue to deceive individuals. With AI tools like ChatGPT, cybercriminals can now craft emails that closely mimic human communication, making them even more convincing. If you're not vigilant, the consequences of falling for a phishing scam can be severe.
In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the significant threat posed by phishing emails, we've put together this straightforward guide to help you and your team identify phishing emails and understand the critical importance of doing so.
What Can Happen? Four Major Risks of Phishing Attacks:
1. Data Breaches
Phishing attacks can compromise your organization's sensitive information, which cybercriminals may then sell on the dark web or hold for ransom. The financial, legal, and reputational damage can be immense, along with a loss of customer trust.
2. Financial Loss
Cybercriminals often use phishing emails to directly steal money from businesses through fraudulent invoices or unauthorized transactions, severely impacting your financial health.
3. Malware Infections
Phishing emails may contain malicious attachments or links that, once clicked, can infect your systems with malware. This can disrupt operations, lead to data loss, and necessitate expensive remediation efforts.
4. Compromised Accounts
When employees fall for phishing scams, their accounts can be hijacked. Attackers can then use these accounts to launch further attacks or access sensitive company data.
And the risks don't end there. However, you can take proactive steps to avoid becoming the next victim of a phishing attack.
Introducing the S.E.C.U.R.E. Method to Identify Phishing Emails:
- S - Start With The Subject Line: Is it peculiar? (e.g., "FWD: FWD: FWD: review immediately")
- E - Examine The Email Address: Do you recognize the sender? Is the email address unusual or misspelled?
- C - Consider The Greeting: Is the salutation odd or overly generic? (e.g., "Hello Ma'am!")
- U - Unpack The Message: Does it create a sense of urgency to click a link, download an attachment, or act on an offer that seems too good to be true?
- R - Review For Errors: Are there grammatical mistakes or strange misspellings?
- E - Evaluate Links And Attachments: Hover over links before clicking to check their actual address, and avoid opening attachments from unknown or unexpected senders.
It's also crucial to have a cybersecurity expert monitor your network and filter out email spam before it reaches your employees. Taking appropriate precautions is essential to safeguarding your network. Phishing attacks are effective and frequent, and we don't want YOU to be their 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 800-626-3223 or click here to
book a consultation with our team.
