Have you received an email recently that you were unsure if it was genuine? Phishing attacks are on the rise and becoming increasingly sophisticated, which means that even someone who is aware of these attacks can find it challenging to know what is real and what is malicious. Phishing attacks can lead to data breaches, financial loss, damaged IT equipment, and reputational damage, so it is vital that you know how to protect your business against this form of cybercrime. Phishing attacks are successful because they are a form of social engineering, which can be harder to protect against than other forms of cybercrime.
Read on to learn how to protect your business.
Employee Training
As this is a form of social engineering, it is vital that you provide employee training to your team. Cybersecurity awareness training can educate your team on detecting phishing attacks and the different forms they can take. This will be key in preventing attacks and will keep the message fresh in everyone’s mind. This training will include things like:
- Ignoring unsolicited emails
- Calling email senders when in doubt
- Never click on suspicious links
- Never share sensitive information via email
- Paying close attention to spelling and grammar
Update Software
It can be easy to delay software updates when they become available, but this is a major cybersecurity risk. Updating your security software, operating system, and internet browsers will reduce your chances of getting caught up in a phishing attack by providing the latest security patches.
Use Cyber Products from a Specialist
Of course, there are also numerous cybersecurity products that you can use to protect your company against phishing and other forms of cybercrime. A few products you should be using include email security, advanced threat protection, content filtering services, endpoint security, and firewalls with DPI-SSL. A cybersecurity specialist like sonicwallonline.co.uk can offer support and guidance to help you find the best products.
Establish Secure Communication Channels
It is also important to establish secure communication channels, especially during a time when many businesses have remote workers. Phishing attackers will attempt to intercept sensitive data during transmission or fool people into sharing sensitive information, so you need to establish and maintain secure communication channels. This includes encrypted email, VPNs, secure file-sharing platforms, and messaging apps.
Protect Your Accounts
Protecting your accounts can make your sensitive data more resistant to phishing attacks (and other forms of cybercrime). There are a number of ways that you can do this, including:
- Using complex passwords
- Using different passwords for different accounts
- Changing passwords regularly
- Using multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Using access control
- Using biometrics
Have an Incident Response Plan
Finally, it is important to have an incident response plan. With attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and more prevalent, you need to know how to react in a timely manner if there is ever a successful attack. This can also provide peace of mind as you will know how to mitigate the damage of a phishing attack.
Every organization needs to be aware of the growing threat of phishing, and the above are a few of the best ways you can protect your organization against this serious issue.