Phishing: What It Is, and How to Avoid It

Potential data breaches are increasingly problematic for organizations, and the most common way that data is stolen is through phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are currently one of the most pervasive threats on the Internet, and you need to understand them to thwart their effectiveness against your users. Let’s explore what exactly a phishing attack consists of and some best practices you can use to defend your network against them.

What is a Phishing Attack?

Phishing is an attack method in which scammers try tricking you into giving important information by pretending to be from a trustworthy source. It involves someone trying to obtain passwords through deception. Scammers pretend to be someone you can trust. This is usually done through deceptive emails, messages, or websites that appear to be from trusted sources, like banks or well-known companies. The goal is to “phish” for this information and use it for malicious purposes, such as identity theft or financial fraud.

Four Practices to Help Protect Your Network

Let’s look at a few ways to keep phishing attacks from breaking into your network.

• Be cautious with links and attachments - Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown or suspicious sources. Phishing emails often disguise malicious links to look legitimate. Hover over a link to check the URL before clicking.
• Verify the sender’s identity - Double-check the sender’s email address, especially for unexpected messages or requests for sensitive information. Phishers often use addresses that look similar to legitimate ones but have slight differences.
• Look for signs of phishing - Be wary of generic greetings, spelling or grammar mistakes, and urgent requests for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies usually address you by name and don't pressure you into immediate action.
• Use Multi-Factor Authentication - Enable MFA wherever possible to add an extra layer of security. Even if a phisher gets your password, MFA can do a good job of slowing down or completely preventing unauthorized access.

To protect your business, you need to understand phishing and do what you can to prevent falling victim to it. You will want to create a comprehensive training regimen focusing on faux phishing attacks to bring awareness to employees who may not have a naturally security-minded approach. 

If you would like to learn more about actions you can take to keep the massive amount of phishing attacks you and your employees receive at bay, give our team of experts a call at (205) 208-0340.