Phishing attacks are the most common cybercrime today because they work, unfortunately. Research shows that over 3.4 billion spam emails are delivered to inboxes of unsuspecting users every day. That’s a lot of spam that goes out daily.
Phishing e-mails have been the most frequent form of attack for years because it’s easy for cybercriminals to implement.
I’ve mentioned in other articles that it’s even easier now for cybercriminals with the assistance of AI. If you’re not careful, the effects of phishing scams can be detrimental to your business. How to stop phishing emails can be relatively difficult for those that are unprepared.
Let’s cover some insights and tips on how to be proactive against phishing emails.
The Dangers Associated with Phishing Attacks
You will encounter all sorts of issues should you become a victim of a phishing attack. But we’ll break it down to the 4 most common issues associated with phishing attacks.
Data Breaches
A data breach is one of the primary dangers of a phishing attack because it allows cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
When individuals fall victim to phishing attempts, often through deceptive emails, they may inadvertently share personal details, login credentials, or financial information about themselves or the company they work for.
This compromised data can be exploited for malicious purposes, including identity theft, financial fraud, or even ransomware. Additionally, the fallout can lead to significant reputational damage for organizations, loss of customer trust, and costly recovery once a breach occurs. Understanding and mitigating the risks associated with phishing is crucial for protecting both individual and organizational data integrity.
Financial Loss
When information gets shared inadvertently by victims of phishing attacks, often that information includes credit card details, bank account information, or other personal data. Cybercriminals can then use this information to conduct unauthorized transactions, or siphon funds out of an account, which can lead to substantial financial damage.
The results from such attacks can be devastating from the obvious financial theft, but also potential legal ramifications, and increased insurance premiums. All of which can further amplify the negative financial impact on the victim.  Â
This alone is a powerful reminder to be vigilant and informed about phishing threats.
Malware Infections
Many phishing attacks also bring other malware that will infect your computer and network.
This malware can take various forms, such as ransomware, spyware, or a nasty virus. Once a device is infected, the malware can spread to other systems within a network, leading to widespread damage, data breaches, and potential operational shutdowns.
So while you may recover from a possible phishing attack, if you ever become a victim, you also have to factor in what other malware came with that attack that needs to be remedied.
The SECURE Method To Identify Phishing Emails
Full transparency here, we didn’t create this method. However, I thought it was an excellent format to help explain how to identify and prevent phishing emails. The breakdown for the secure method is as follows:
S – Start With The Subject Line: What’s odd about the subject line? Do you see a bunch of FWD: FWD: as if it’s been forwarded a few times before it got to you? Subject lines like review immediately are also another red flag. Unless that email is coming from someone you know, and are probably expecting to hear from, then it’s safe to say you can stay away from subject lines similar to these.
E – Examine The Email Address: Do you recognize that email address? Does it look odd like it’s coming from some company you’ve never heard of before? If the email looks off and not from someone you know, discard that message.
C – Consider the Greeting: If the introduction is generic or unusual (i.e. Hello Ma’am/Sir, Dear Beloved, Attention…etc.), it’s best to discard that message. As a quick tip, you usually can see the message’s introduction without opening the email. The first line of the email will be displayed under the sender’s name, or next to the email’s subject, depending on the email service you’re using.
U – Unpack the Message: If you open the email, check the offer in that email. Is the urgency to click that link or download that software sound too good to be true? It probably is.
R – Review the Errors: Are there several grammatical errors, misspellings, or things that are spelled oddly? Many times these messages are coming from individuals where English is not their first language, and it’s very evident in how they’re writing the message. The grammar is usually off.
E – Evaluate Links and Attachments: The best way to inspect a link is to hover over that link and inspect the URL to see where it will take you if you click that link. As for attachments, be careful not to open any attachments from someone you’re not expecting an email from.
This is a good formula that you can follow to stop a phishing attack from happening, and it’s relatively easy to follow.
Cybersecurity Services
In addition to being proactive in stopping phishing emails, it’s also a good idea to have a cybersecurity expert monitor your network to help eliminate e-mail spam BEFORE your employees make a mistake and inadvertently click on a link or download an attachment they weren’t supposed to.
We don’t want YOU to be the next victim of a phishing attack.
If you need help implementing a robust cybersecurity system or just want a second set of eyes to examine what you currently have in place, we can help. We can assess if there are any vulnerabilities, and make the needed recommendations you’ll need moving forward.
If you would like our assistance, call us at 571-498-8208, or click here to book a call with us.