Phishing attacks are one of the most common forms of cyberattack—which often results in stolen credentials such as login names and passwords—and likely the leading cause of data breaches. This is why your IT solutions infrastructure should incorporate cybersecurity measures that safeguard against phishing attacks as well as an incident response plan in the event of a breach, to minimize damage, quarantine unaffected systems, and regain control. As part of our commitment to making technology work for everyone, our cybersecurity solutions expert will share some tips on how you can protect your business from phishing attacks.
Cybersecurity Tips: Anatomy of a Phishing Attack
A phishing attack is a type of cyberattack where an attacker tricks a user into revealing sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit numbers, or Personal Identification Numbers. The obtained sensitive information can then be used to illegally access (also referred to as security breach) computer data applications, networks, and devices and to carry out other types of fraud such as identity theft or financial frauds.
Perpetrators of phishing attacks usually employ social engineering techniques to manipulate unsuspecting victims into divulging sensitive information. Social engineering exploits human emotions such as trust, fear, greed, or curiosity into doing something they would not otherwise do.
Cybersecurity Measures to Safeguard Against Phishing Attacks
- Bookmark Trusted Websites – This prevents your employees from providing login credentials to a spoof website, a fake website designed to skim login information from unwitting users.
- Double Check the Email Addresses – Some phishing emails would originate from obviously fake emails and can be easily spotted. However, some more sophisticated phishing attempts utilize legitimate-looking email addresses. In such cases, your employees should look up prior email correspondence to authenticate the email address, conduct a google search, or confirm the email address with the entity through a verified and known phone number.
- Never Provide Passwords or OTPs via Email or Phone Calls – Your employees should be reminded never, under any circumstance, provide passwords or one-time PINs to anyone over the phone or through an email.
- Have an Incident Response Plan – An incident response plan is a predefined set of procedures your business will carry out in case of a security breach. The goal of an incident response plan is to minimize the impact of the breach, identify the cause of the breach, and take steps to prevent future incidents.
- Use Computer Applications That Have Built-in Cybersecurity Measures – Microsoft 365 has built-in cybersecurity solutions that prevent phishing attacks such as Multi-Factor Authentication, Advanced Threat Protection (uses AI to detect and block emails likely containing malicious links used for phishing attacks), and Data Loss Prevention (protects sensitive information by governing who can see them and what can be done to them).
Work Only with Cybersecurity Solutions Experts with The Experience You Can Trust Here in BHT Solutions, we believe that technology is the great equalizer that allows small businesses to compete in our modern world, which is why we have endeavored to make technology work for everyone by offering tailor-fit cybersecurity solutions. We provide cost-effective, personalized, and easy to use IT solutions for small and large clients across multiple industries. Call us now and solve your IT dilemmas efficiently.
