All it takes is a single click to put all of your business’s confidential data in the wrong hands and plunge the entire company into mass chaos. Data breaches can devastate a business because of how hard it is to bounce back from them. The most popular scam that causes these sorts of breaches is email phishing.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell a fake email from a legitimate one. Hackers are getting craftier by the day.
There are some methods that you can use to protect yourself from these vicious attacks. Check out this helpful email phishing guide.
1. Stay Informed
The first step to any successful action plan is to keep yourself updated and informed. Keep your eyes open for any news regarding email phishing.
The sooner you know about these scammer’s latest methods, the less likely you are to fall into their trap.
2. Think Before Clicking
It’s one thing to open an email from a known and trusted client without thinking about it, it’s another to open one willy nilly from a stranger. When you get an email from someone you don’t know, inspect it carefully.
Hover over the links in the email to make sure that they are going to the place they say they’re going to before you click them. Check and see if the email contains your name at the beginning. If it starts with “dear customer” it’s probably a scam.
3. Install a Toolbar
The best way to keep your business safe is to brace yourself with the right tools. Most browsers have a security toolbar that you can download. It provides basic protection and it’s completely free.
The toolbar runs checks for phishing websites every time you visit a site. If they find anything you will be alerted so you can get off the website ASAP.
4. Check the Site’s Security
Everyone is a little cautious about sharing confidential data online but as long as the website is secure you’re fine. There are ways to check and make sure that it is secure before you start typing in personal business information.
First off, you want to be sure that the website URL starts with “https”. Second of all, you want to look at the little lock icon located beside the URL in the search bar. If the lock is closed the site is secure and if it’s open then it’s not.
5. Keep Your Browser Up to Date
Browsers are constantly updating themselves with security patches. These patches are released to fix loopholes that hackers found in the security system.
So, if you’re the type of person to ignore these patches, stop. Listen to your browser and install the patch. It’s annoying because you’ll have to stop what you’re doing but it’s worth it.
Expert Ways to Avoid Email Phishing
Email phishing is a security scam that can be easy to fall victim to. Hackers are crafty. Sometimes the emails they send look as legit as the ones that you get from clients.
The trick to avoiding this scam is to stay aware of the latest computer security news and keep your computer updated and protected. Don’t let your business’s information fall into the wrong hands.
Do you think your work computer has suffered from an email phishing incident? Contact us for immediate assistance.
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