As working remote becomes the new normal, it is essential for businesses to ensure that employees are remaining alert and safe online. Networks in companies of all sizes are under siege by a growing number of increasingly sophisticated attacks from cyber criminals. These attacks can happen at any time, both to your business or to you personally on your own private networks. There are a few key points you should consider reducing the threats of data breaches, malware infiltration and various other security risks.
What is Phishing?
Phishing typically involves a bogus email, web page or social media post created by an individual who pretends to be from a legitimate source. The goal of phishing is to trick you into sharing sensitive or confidential information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers or financial account information.
How Can We Defend Ourselves?
Be Skeptical:
As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, some phishing emails can seem authentic at first glance, so it is important to be skeptical of any email, post or web page that may seem suspicious or that asks you to provide personal or financial information.
Be Careful When Reviewing Quarantined Messages:
If a message was marked as spam during this difficult time, it is essential to evaluate the email before determining if it was incorrectly placed in your Spam folder.
“Don’t Click” Checklist:
When receiving emails from outside your organization, make sure that:
- You recognize the sender’s email address
- You recognize those copied on the email
- This email is from someone with whom you regularly communicate
- The subject line makes sense
- The domain in the email is spelled correctly
If the answer to any of the bullets above is “no” or you are unsure, it is best to forward the email in question to your IT department and have them determine its legitimacy.
