Phishing attacks are common security challenges for both companies and individuals. They will need special measures to protect their information. Hackers use phone calls, social media, emails or any other firm to get access to sensitive information like credit cards and passwords. You will need specialized tools and techniques for phishing prevention.
Businesses are especially vulnerable to these attacks. Attackers need your sensitive information; therefore, they will try to access your networks and protected data. In this digital age, it becomes easy to collect information. For this reason, prevention against phishing attacks becomes a necessity for each business.
Phishing Techniques
Before learning phishing prevention tips, it is essential to understand the popular phishing techniques used by hackers. See a few methods.
- Embedded links in an email are common. These links can redirect you or your employees to unsecured websites. These sites will request your sensitive information.
- A malicious email attachment or an advertisement can install a Trojan to your system. Through this Trojan, an intruder can exploit loopholes to obtain sensitive data.
- Spoofing the email address of the sender to make it look like a trustworthy source and demand sensitive information.
- Trying to obtain the information of the company over the phone by mimicking a famous IT department or vendor of a company.
Tips to Prevent Phishing Attacks
For your assistance, here are some tips to prevent phishing attack by hackers. With these simple steps, you can protect yourself from potential attackers.
Designate a Person to Deal with Suspicious Communications
If you want to protect your business from attackers, it is essential to train your employees to identify scams. Instruct them to forward suspicious emails, random and uncharacteristic emails and emails with embedded links to a designated person. Make sure to embrace the false alarms to encourage your workers to prevent email phishing in the future consistently.
Add Extra Layer of Security
Two-step verification can save you from phishing attempts. For instance, two-factor authenticator requires you to sign in using a password and a code will be sent to the phone. You will use this code to verify the login attempt. Turn on two-factor verification to add an extra layer of security.
Update Phishing Prevention Software
Training is vital to decrease the risk of phishing attacks, but you can’t rely on your employees only. Your business needs phishing prevention software to deal with sophisticated emails. Some phishing attacks try to exploit vulnerabilities in your software. These vulnerabilities can be avoided with consistent updates. Try to use the latest versions of phishing prevention software. Keep your systems and software updated to combat phishing.
Regular Security Checks
After every three months, you have to review security issues in your industry. Pay attention to big events of the security breach and phishing attacks. Check the security measures around you to prevent these attacks. It may prove helpful to avoid these events.
Security of Web Browsers
It is one of the best Phishing Prevention Tips from Next Web. The common method of phishing involves imitation of a trusted web browser. When people try to login to an imitated website, hackers will steal their valuable information. You can avoid this situation by running an extension “HTTPS” in your computers.
Before entering your information, verifies the security features and the URL of each webpage. The hackers can steal your bank details, passwords and usernames. By entering your information in an imitated web browser, you can transmit your information to con artists. They will abuse this data later on.
Understand the Phishing Language
You can prevent email phishing by identifying the language of hackers. Pay attention to the phrase “verify your account.” Legitimate companies will not ask for sensitive information or login information in emails. If an email asks you to take urgent action, immediately transfer it into suspicious emails.
If you receive warnings, such as your account is compromised, you should not fall in this trap. It is a common method to lure victims. Contact each company directly to inquire about emails instead of using a link or contact information available in emails. Stay away from emails that don’t address you.
Phishing scams may use your name in an email. Many of these messages are sent out to spam. Several legitimate companies will use your first and last name in their communications. With these signs, you can identify phishing attacks.
