You’ve likely heard about the many dangers you face every time you go online. One of the most common — and easy to fall for — are phishing scams.
Recent phishing attacks have become more advanced. The good news is that they’re still nowhere near unstoppable. We’ll tell you about how to prepare and protect yourself in the paragraphs below.
What are Phishing Scams?
Phishing scams are fake messages, usually emails, asking for personal information. Oftentimes, they try to sound like a legitimate company so the recipient isn’t suspicious.
Once scammers have that personal information, they can use it to steal your identity, money, and whatever else they can get access to. Luckily, there are ways to protect against this. Start with these three tips.
1. Educate Employees to Avoid Business Attacks
Though private citizens are still targeted by a lot of phishing scams, recent phishing attacks have started targeting businesses more than ever before. Scamming a business is often more lucrative since there’s more money to be made by stealing from them.
Their tactics have evolved, too. Scammers will often disguise their emails by claiming to be a program most employees would trust, like Microsoft Office 365.
It’s a known fact that the majority of us have lost interest or are less engaged at work than when they started. The result has been a rise in phishing scams disguised as job offers.
Employee education is the number one way to avoid this type of attack.
Advise all of your employees to be on the lookout for any suspicious-looking links or emails. They should also be aware that most major companies, such as Microsoft, are not likely to email you unless you have contacted them first. When in doubt, they should always pull up the sending company’s website, find their phone number, and call them to verify the contents of the email.
2. Don’t Forget to Protect Your Devices
Scammers are going for more than just emails. Though phishing attempts through emails and other related systems are common, they’re also expected. Some scammers have turned to apps and various other devices to trick users into giving away information.
Increased security is always a good idea, whether you’re online or off. Caution is also critical. You should never click any link or provide information to anyone whose identity you can’t verify, no matter what type of device you’re using.
3. Always Use Multifactor Authentication
You may have heard of multifactor authentication, and it’s likely you’ve also used it. Multifactor authentication means that more than one piece of information is required to identify the user before logging in.
For instance, maybe one of your favorite websites has you log in with a password and then your mother’s maiden name or a pet’s name. In other cases, this authentication is more advanced, requiring a flash drive or a disc or something only the user would have.
All of these barriers make it harder for phishers to get into your files. After all, you’ve (hopefully!) never mentioned your mother’s maiden name on social media. Whenever multifactor authentication is an option, always take advantage of it.
Recent Phishing Attacks: How to Evolve with the Scammers
The growing sophistication of recent phishing attacks may have people worried, but you can minimize your chances of being a victim you’re careful. We’ve talked a little bit about what you can do to stop phishing attacks in the paragraphs above, but there are many other ways to increase your online security.
If you want more information and advice on the online aspects of business, please visit our site. We can give you lots of tips, including telling you more about why WordPress is an effective and secure site to use when setting up a business.