Three Simple Tips On How To Beat Phishing Attacks In Your Business

As technology continues to become more advanced, so are cyber criminals. Their attacks are becoming more civilised, more skilled and more secretive than ever before. However, cyber crime cannot be blamed on technology alone.

An increasingly common form of attack, known as phishing, occurs when a victim is tricked into clicking a fraudulent email or attachment, thinking it is genuine. These are often designed with recognisable branding or appear to be from a reliable source such as a colleague, so that the victim doesn’t expect the attack and continues to click the fraudulent link. This then downloads a virus providing the hackers access to your machine, and that's it, you’ve been hacked.

While many businesses are investing heavily in security to prevent cyber attacks, technology is not always the answer. Phishing attacks are successful because they work on human error and vulnerabilities.

Here we look at three alternative ways to combat phishing attacks:

1. Recognise how to detect a phishing email – businesses need to educate their employees on how to identify a phishing email by letting them know what to look out for. Many phishing emails will start with a generic introduction, “Dear Sir or Madam” for example. Also, there is often a request for personal information or for the recipient to perform an action. Lastly you should look out for any spelling and grammatical errors or anomalies that don’t match up such as an address.
2. Recognise how to report a phishing email – businesses also need to educate their employees on how to report a phishing email should they receive one. They should be encouraged to report suspicious emails straightaway whether they turn out to be fraudulent or not, and not penalised if they turn out to be genuine. Reporting any strange activity allows the business to investigate before it becomes critical.
3. Recognise the importance of regularly updating technology – Finally businesses need to regularly update their technology and defences, making it harder for criminals to attack. Cyber criminals are constantly changing their tactics to make fraudulent emails harder to spot, therefore it is important that your defences are prepared, and you are always one step ahead.

For more information on protecting your business from cyber security risks such as phishing, contact Cyberguru today. We can provide advice on what your business needs, and create tailor made insurance solutions covering cyber liability, data breach, hacker ransom and business interruption.