Despite being around for almost three decades, the Phishing remains a persistent threat. As part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, we're exploring effective strategies for individuals and organizations to protect against attacks Phishing.
Τι είναι το Phishing;
The Phishing involves cybercriminals impersonating trustworthy entities to send fraudulent messages containing malicious downloads or links. Successful attacks Phishing they can lead to compromised credentials, malware infections, data loss, and financial theft. It is a common form social engineering and the costliest type of attack for 2022, on average 4,91 million per victim.
But that's not all – the attacks Phishing become more sophisticated and spread beyond Email on mobile devices and other forms of communication. Actually, the Present in several = 80% of websites Phishing they specifically target mobile devices or are designed to work on desktop and mobile and the average person has 6-10 times more likely to suffer a phishing attack via SMS than through Email.
How to recognize and avoid it Phishing
The best defense is to know the signs of a phishing email. Unfortunately, with the rise of artificial intelligence, it's no longer enough to look for misspellings and grammatical errors. Here are some key pointers:
1. Threats or intimidation: Phishing emails may use intimidation tactics such as threats of account suspension or threats of legal action to force you to take action. Be alert for messages that are urgent, alarming or threatening.
2. Message style: If a message doesn't seem to match the sender's character, it's likely a phishing attempt. Watch out for any unusual language or tone. Phishing emails often use vague or generic greetings such as "Dear User" and "Dear Customer" instead of personalized ones.
3. Unusual requests: Emails Phishing you may be asked to take unusual actions. For example, if an email instructs you to install software, verify with your IT department, especially if it's not standard practice.
4. Inconsistencies in links and addresses: Check for inconsistencies with email addresses, links and names domain. Hover over hyperlinks or shortened addresses URL to see their actual destinations and see if there is a mismatch.
5. Requests for personal information: Be careful when an email asks for sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. Legitimate organizations usually do not request such information via email.
How organizations can reduce the risk of Phishing attacks
Here are some ways organizations can reduce the risk of phishing attacks.
Safety training
By applying one awareness program in cybersecurity, organizations can inform and educate employees about the latest cyber threats. Some of the benefits include improved security, visibility of cyber risks and regulatory compliance. The Check Point SmartAwareness prepares your employees for the toughest threats with over 1.000 realistic simulations Phishing and local safety awareness training.
Enhancing email security
Implement a modern email security solution capable of detecting malicious links, attachments, spam content and language that could indicate a phishing attack. Your solution should be able to automatically block and quarantine suspicious emails and use sandboxing technology to analyze emails for maliciousness code.
Use of a monitoring and protection program Endpoint
With the proliferation of cloud services and personal devices in the workplace, security teams must assume that some points they will be compromised by attacks on them. Regularly monitoring endpoints for security threats and implementing rapid remediation and remediation on compromised devices is critical.
Take action and report it Phishing
If you receive a phishing email or text message, report it – the information you provide helps fight cybercriminals.
- Promote emails Phishing in the working group Aunt-Phishing to the address reportphishing@apwg.org
- Forward text messages Phishing on SPAM (7726)
- Report attempts Phishing to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
How can the Check Point
The Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration prevents sophisticated attacks Phishing and social engineering from reaching your inbox. To learn more, schedule a demonstration.
From October 22 to 31, get 25% off all its certification exams Check Point using the promo code Report Phishing.
