Phishing attacks remain the most prevalent form of cybercrime for a simple reason: they are effective. Every day, over 3.4 billion spam emails flood the inboxes of unsuspecting users. Phishing emails have consistently topped the list of cyber threats due to their ease of implementation, scalability, and continued success in deceiving individuals. With the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT, cybercriminals can now craft emails that convincingly mimic human communication, making it even harder to discern genuine messages from malicious ones. If you're not vigilant, the consequences of falling for a phishing scam can be severe.
In honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and given that phishing emails are a major cause of cyberattacks, we've created this straightforward guide to help you and your team identify phishing emails and understand the importance of doing so.
What Can Happen? Here Are Four Major Risks of Phishing Attacks:
1. Data Breaches
Phishing attacks can expose your organization's sensitive information to cybercriminals. Once compromised, this data can be sold on the dark web or held for ransom, often with no guarantee of its return. This can lead to financial and legal repercussions, damage to your reputation, and loss of customer trust.
2. Financial Loss
Cybercriminals frequently use phishing emails to directly steal money from businesses. Whether through fraudulent invoices or unauthorized transactions, falling victim to phishing can significantly impact your financial health.
3. Malware Infections
Phishing emails can contain malicious attachments or links that, when clicked, infect your systems with malware. This can disrupt operations, lead to data loss, and necessitate costly remediation efforts.
4. Compromised Accounts
When employees fall for phishing scams, their accounts can be compromised. Attackers can then use these accounts to launch further attacks or gain unauthorized access to sensitive company data.
The list of potential dangers goes on, but there are steps you can take to avoid becoming the next victim of a phishing attack.
Introducing the S.E.C.U.R.E. Method to Identify Phishing Emails:
- S - Start With The Subject Line: Is it unusual? (e.g., "FWD: FWD: FWD: review immediately")
- E - Examine The Email Address: Do you recognize the sender? Is the email address unusual or misspelled, or is it from an unknown source?
- C - Consider The Greeting: Is the salutation odd or generic? (e.g., "Hello Ma'am!")
- U - Unpack The Message: Is there a sense of extreme urgency to click a link, download an attachment, or act on an offer that seems too good to be true?
- R - Review For Errors: Are there grammatical mistakes or strange misspellings?
- E - Evaluate Links And Attachments: Hover over links to check their actual address, and avoid opening attachments from unknown senders or unexpected emails.
Additionally, it's crucial to have a cybersecurity expert monitor your network and filter out email spam before it reaches your employees. Ensure you are taking the necessary precautions to protect your network. Phishing attacks are effective and frequent, and we don't want YOU to become the next victim.
If you need help training your team on
cybersecurity best practices or implementing a robust cybersecurity system, or
just want a second set of eyes to examine what you currently have in place and
assess if there are any vulnerabilities, we are ready to help. Call us at 610-433-1000 or click here to
book a consult with our team.
