Phishing Attacks: What Are They, What They Can Do, and How to Avoid One

Phishing Attacks: What Are They, What They Can Do, and How to Avoid One

Did you know that 90 percent of data breaches are due to phishing attacks?

Phishing is one of the most significant cybersecurity threats in today’s business world. But how can you protect yourself?

Let’s look at what phishing is, how to prevent phishing, and what you can do if it happens.

What is a Phishing Attack?

A phishing attack is an attempt by a hacker to steal confidential information by pretending to be someone they’re not. These attacks usually come via email with either a link or an attachment that isn’t what it seems.

For example, the email could look like it’s from your bank and say that your login information was compromised. There’s a link in the email to reset your password but that link goes to an imposter site. When you enter your login information there to “verify” yourself, it gets sent to the hacker.

Once they have that information, they can log into your accounts themselves.

Purpose of a Phishing Attack

Phishing attacks can have one of several purposes, including:

• Directly stealing your information, as in the fake bank email example above
• Jumping off point for other attacks
• Gathering information and then holding it for ransom

How to Prevent Phishing

Awareness is the key to avoiding a phishing attack. You and your employees need to know what to look for and how to identify a legitimate request from a scam.

Some of the factors to watch for include:

• Links that go to a different domain than where the email appears to be from
• Email messages with strange attachments
• Phone calls from someone pretending to be an employee or other “insider” with the company

Phishing scams constantly evolve as hackers find new ways to exploit systems and the people that use them. Keeping your staff up to date with the latest techniques is challenging but Varay’s IT services can help.

We offer a complete Security Awareness Training course to help educate everyone in your company so they can avoid becoming a victim.

What to Do if You Are Successfully Attacked

If you fall victim to a phishing attack, you must take immediate action. Notify your security professional immediately so they can take the necessary steps to lock things down.

Change all your important passwords and review your financial and other accounts for any unusual activity. Have your IT team scan your network for compromises or unusual activity as well.

If you do business in a regulated industry, check for comprised compliance, such as HIPAA. If you identify a compromise, get hold of your cyber liability insurance provider immediately. And if you don’t have this type of coverage already, make sure you look into it before a phishing attack occurs.

Be Proactive About Your Cybersecurity

The time to worry about your company’s cybersecurity is now, before an attack happens. Trying to clean up after phishing attacks is far more difficult, not to mention the potential costs.

But if you are a victim, don’t wait to report it. The consequences of saying nothing are far worse than the embarrassment you might face in the short-term.

If you’re in the El Paso, San Antonio, or Midland-Odessa areas and want to ensure your cybersecurity is up to the task, Varay Managed IT can help. Our cybersecurity solutions will help protect you against phishing and many other threats.

Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation.

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