“91% of all cyber-attacks start with a phishing email and it’s the most successful and dangerous of all cyber-attacks.”
If there is one cyber threat that you need to be aware of is phishing.
The UK’s cybersecurity agency has taken down more phishing scams in the last year than in the previous three years combined.
Not only are they on the rise but they are becoming highly sophisticated, making them harder to spot. They come in all shapes and sizes, the latest being a simple “want to unsubscribe” email. We want you to make sure your company’s cyber defences are as strong as they can be, so here are…
5 Simple Ways to Stop Phishing Scams
- Think Before You Click
Just take a moment before you act. 91% of all cyber-attacks start with a phishing email and it’s the most successful and dangerous of all cyber-attacks. A phishing email will often come from an address that appears to be genuine, but criminals aim to trick recipients by including the name of a legitimate company within the structure of email and web addresses. Study the email carefully, look closely for any abnormalities in the sender’s address, hover over the link to get a closer look at the destination URL. - Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Around 1.2 million accounts are being compromised every month according to Microsoft and they say none of these were using multi-factor authentication. Using MFA, together with creating strong passwords and storing these in a password vault will increase your cybersecurity. If you think your account may have been breached, you can check your email and phone accounts here and you can also look up passwords. - Get Anti-Phishing Add-Ons For FREE
What’s not to love, they’re free and will help you spot a malicious website. You need to have these installed on every device in your company. Here are a few recommendations of anti-phishing add-ons for your browser: Bitdefender TrafficLight (Chrome, Firefox and Safari)
Avast Online Security (Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera)
Avira Browser Safety (Chrome, Firefox and Opera) - Install a Next-Generation Firewall
As the threat from cyber criminals grows rapidly, standard firewalls are no longer enough to keep them out. A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is now essential for full protection against hackers and malware when it comes to network security. - Use an advanced email security solution
Having an advanced email security solution, such as IT Naturally partners Ironscales and Proofpoint implemented in your company will significantly reduce the number of phishing attacks reaching your employees. These tools also help IT security staff and administrators to detect both the sources and their targets. It allows them to react in a timely manner, so that they can take actions to prevent further damage and, in case a breach has occurred, notify the respective authorities and people impacted.
Even if your company maintains controls to help protect its networks and computers from cyber threats, you should remember your employees are the first line of defence, so staff training is imperative.
If you would like assistance with protecting your business, you can reach out to IT Naturally to learn more about how we can help.
