Social engineering is perhaps the main weapon of attackers at the moment. Phishing is a way for cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to systems and devices. And unprepared employees become a weak link in the chain leading to a cyber incidents. So, how to protect yourself against phishing?
The danger of phishing
Phishing can be the first step in a complex data theft scheme, and this tactic is still popular for one simple reason: it works. Of course, it has been around for a long time, but modern cybercriminals know how to use it differently. Fraudulent phishing attacks are carried out on individuals and individual companies.
The most widespread types of phishing scams are:
- Clone phishing – scammers use an already sent email, which they forward a second time to their victim, changing the link address to another fraudulent site, calling it updated.
- Spear phishing is directed at a specific person or company. It has a more thoughtful action plan: fraudsters collect information about the desired victim. With the help of this information, scammers convince the victim to visit the selected site.
- Pharming – scammers send a DNS-infected record. It redirects site visitors to another fraudulent site. It is the most dangerous type of phishing.
- Email spoofing – emails sent to users’ emails. The messages include a link to a fraudulent site and a tempting offer to visit it.
- Website Redirection – attackers redirect their victims from one site to the site they want. When switching to a fraudulent resource, the user injects a virus onto his PC.
How to protect your data against phishing attacks?
Although phishing is an old trick, it will continue to scam users, but you can stay safe by applying the following best practices:
- Never click on suspicious links. First, be wary of any unsolicited emails or messages that claim to be from a reputable organization. If you’re unsure, go directly to the organization’s website instead of clicking on the links in the message.
- Use an antivirus solution. Antivirus software can detect and block phishing attacks, but only if it is up to date. Outdated software may not recognize the latest phishing attacks, leaving you vulnerable to the same attacks.
- Check URL. You should hover over the proposed link with the mouse and look at the beginning of the link. It must start with HTTPS. You should also check the link for errors and extra characters.
- Do not remember passwords and logins with built-in browser functions. Change them often and do not put the same password on different sites.
Virtual data room: protect your business against phishing attacks
Most often, the main and only reaction to the growth of phishing emails is strengthening technical protection. Unfortunately, such initiatives lead to huge costs and do not provide adequate protection. Don’t wait for a data leak or a ransomware infection. It is much easier to assess business risks with the help of modern digital systems.
A digital data room is an innovative cloud-based solution designed on a SaaS model for secure business collaboration. The system will help you effectively block access to phishing sites and provide reliable protection against Internet threats. Thanks to this service, you can always be sure that your data and passwords will never “leak” to scammers. In addition, a virtual data room ensures robust security measures that are very important for confidential data exchange. They include digital watermarks, data encryption, digital electronic signature, two-factor authentication, etc.
So, today it is impossible to create a reliable barrier for intruders without software systems that allow monitoring the employees’ actions of an enterprise and instantly notifying them about risk events or emergencies.