Phishing attacks are on the rise and pose a very serious threat to both individuals and organisations. Cybercriminals attempt identity theft to get users to hand over personal and sensitive information without their knowledge. This can be in the form of phone calls, physical letters or email scams.
Phishing is one of the most devious forms of identity theft. It’s believed cybercriminals now view phishing as both a successful and easy way of getting into an enterprise to launch a more sophisticated attack.
There are a number of ways you can look to avoid phishing scams including:
Think before you click
A phishing email may look and appear to be from a legitimate company, and it might even look like the real website when you click through from the link. However, you should never click on links in an email unless you’re absolutely sure that it is authentic. If you have any doubt, you should open a new browser window and type the URL into the address bar.
Keep an eye out for shortened links
Often used by cybercriminals, you as the user get tricked into thinking you’re clicking a legitimate link, when you are in fact being inadvertently directed to a fake site. Cybercriminals may use these ‘fake’ sites to steal personal details or to carry out a drive-by-download attack, infecting your device with malware in the process.
Install an anti-phishing toolbar
Able to run quick checks on the sites you’re visiting, anti-phishing toolbars can be installed on most popular internet browsers, comparing them to lists of known phishing sites. Adding an extra, comprehensive security process, anti-phishing toolbars are free and regularly ensures that you are blocking new viruses and spyware.
Use firewalls
Acting as a buffer between you, your computer and outside intruders, high-quality firewalls drastically reduce the odds of hackers and phishers infiltrating your computer or network. Two different types of firewall can be used: a network firewall, which is a type of hardware, and a desktop firewall, a type of software.
Never give out personal information
One of the most common and obvious tips, an internet user should never make confidential entries through the links provided in emails. You should never share personal or financially sensitive information over the internet. A secure website always starts ‘https’, so to be as safe and secure and possible, call the legitimate company first to see if they’ve really sent any correspondence to you.
Falanx Cyber Security services
Educating yourself and your staff on the kinds of cyber attacks they are most vulnerable to and how to respond to them is the key starting block to building a security-aware culture.
Falanx’s Cyber’s awareness training services methods are aimed to educate you in using the best methods possible to fight back against phishing attacks, ensuring you and your staff are the first line of defence.
