We all expect the Christmas / New Year season to be a time of celebration, peace and goodwill to all, right? But cyber attackers didn’t get the memo. They are more likely to attack businesses with phishing attempts during the holidays. Prevent issues by knowing what to expect. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Phishing
Your Pocked Sized Security Threat
You guessed it. I’m talking about those mobile phones that everyone has in their pockets. Continue reading
Staff Security Training
It is a sad but true fact that your employees are your number one cyber-security threat.
They are often the main gateway through which hackers gain their way into your business. All it takes, is one staff member clicking on one wrong link in an email, for cyber-criminals to get in. Continue reading
5 Tips for Spotting A Phishing Email
Every day countless phishing emails are sent to unsuspecting victims. While some of these messages are obviously fraudulent, others can be a bit more convincing.
So, how do you tell the difference between a phishing email and a legitimate one? Unfortunately, there is not one single technique that works in every situation, but here are 5 things to be on the lookout for: Continue reading
Three Things You Can Do To Protect Your Business Data
Your business can’t afford to take any risks with data as the potential costs are way too high. It is not only government regulations that you need to worry about. Your whole
reputation is at stake as there are thousands of cyber-criminals who are on the hunt for badly set-up IT networks and computer systems. Once inside, they then easy access to your valuable data. Continue reading
Isolate Yourself from the Coronavirus Scams!
Scammers jump on any of the latest happenings in the world and are always looking for opportunities, and at the moment they are targeting the coronavirus (aka COVID-19). This article outlines what you need to watch out for and how to stay cyber safe. Continue reading
Do Not Get Hooked By a Whaling Attack
The executives of your company are the big fish in your sea and cyber-criminals think of them as whales. In fact, whaling is a new cyber-security threat targeting your C-suite level staff. Continue reading
How the Bad Guys Get Your Passwords
Passwords are an essential part to your businesses cybersafety. If, like the rest of us, you have dozens of passwords to remember, you might take shortcuts. Taking advantage of this type of attitude is one way bad guys access your passwords. Continue reading
Don’t Be Hooked by Spear Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are designed to steal your credentials or trick you into installing malicious software and still exist because they are so devastatingly simple and effective. But as with most things they evolve overtime and unfortunately become even more effective.
Think Before Clicking – 5 Red Flags of Phishing Emails
Just one click can be the difference between maintaining computer security and suffering massive financial losses. All it takes is just one employee to click on a link in an email for your business to be vulnerable.
Here are a list of 5 red flags that point out a potential phishing email:
1. Poor spelling and grammar
The occasional typo happens to even the best of us, an email filled with errors (both in grammar and spelling) is a clear warning sign of a phishing attempt. Most companies push their email campaigns through multiple reviews where errors are fixed and the language is refined. Errors throughout the entire message indicate that the same level of care was not taken and therefore the message is more than likely fraudulent.
2. An offer too good to be true
Free items or a lottery win sound great, but does the offer comes out of nowhere and with no catch? Then there is definitely cause for concern. Take care not to get carried away with the message and don’t click without investigating further.
3. Random sender who knows too much
Spear phishing is when an email or offer is designed and crafted especially for your business. Culprits take personal details from your public channels (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and even offline documents such as annual company reports etc) and then use it against you. The only clues? The sender is unknown – they weren’t at the event or involved in any way. Take a moment to see if their story checks out. Even check the email address of the sender to confirm that it is correct and not just a similar sounding or looking address (see #4 below).
4. The URL or email address is not quite right
One of the most effective techniques used in phishing emails is to use domains which sound almost right. For example, [microsoft.info.com] or [pay-pal.com] Hover over the link with your mouse and review where it will take you. If it doesn’t look right, or is completely different from the link text then delete the email.
5. It asks for personal, financial or business details
Alarms should ring when a message contains a request for personal, business or financial information. If you believe there may be a genuine issue, you can initiate a check using established, trusted channels (ie phone the person on their known number not one contained within the email).
While education is the best way to ensure phishing emails are unsuccessful, a robust spam filter and solid anti-virus system provide peace of mind that your business has the best protection available.
DP Computing can help secure your business and can even organise a fake phishing attack to see if further staff training is required. Give us a call to discuss how we can help you on 08 8326 4364 or su*****@dp*********.au.