When determining how best to protect your business against cyber crimes or cyber attacks, you might come across the concept of phishing, and wonder what it is and how it works. In order to best protect your business, employees, customers, and all data, knowing how to identify these cyber attacks will enable you to work smarter and safer. 

So what is phishing and how do you avoid a phishing attack on your business? Read below for everything you need to know to avoid this type of cybercrime. 

Phishing: How Does it Work

Phishing is a cybercrime that targets a business and its employees by sending malicious emails, phone calls, or texts from someone claiming to either be a member of the company, or someone posing as another legitimate business in order to lure people into giving them their sensitive data or information. This kind of information can include personal information, banking information, credit card details, and even computer passwords. 

Once they’ve gathered this information from the unsuspecting provider, they use this to access important accounts, data, and can also use this to target specific people for identity theft or to commit credit card fraud. This can also be used to hack into your business’ network or database to gather confidential information or to steal money.  

How to Spot a Phishing Attack

Because hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated and harder to detect everyday, it’s important to recognize some of the signs of phishing and use them to educate your employees. This will keep them and your business safe, and will help contribute to their overall cyber security knowledge.

Another great way to keep your business safe from phishing? By using the top of the line, low-cost cybersecurity services provided by GoodSuite. With our professional team of cybersecurity specialists on your side, you’ll be able to be secure in knowing that your data, accounts, and network are being monitored and kept safe from attacks. Not only do we keep your network safe, but also have disaster recovery services in the event of data loss. With our cybersecurity services, your network will be safe and protected!

Now that you know where to find the best cybersecurity services, it’s time to determine the best way to identify common phishing scams so you don’t run that risk in the first place!

• Eye-Catching Offers: If you or your employees receive emails with offers, statements or claims that seem too good to be true, they probably are. Phishing emails are designed to be eye-catching and alluring in order to get people to click on them and the links they contain. This can mean anything from saying you won a contest, that your business has been selected for some sort of honor, or even a lottery of some sort. Never click on emails or pop-ups that claim this. 

• ‘Limited Time’ Offers: Phishing hackers thrive off of creating a sense of urgency. If you’re contacted by email, text or phone for a limited time offer that’s too good to pass up – pass it up. This can also not only be limited to offers, sales, or deals, but also lines saying that your account will be deleted or suspended if you don’t fix or respond to it within a few minutes, or that you’ve been hacked by someone and have only a few minutes to save your account. If you receive correspondence like this, don’t open it and go directly to the site it claims to be from to check its authenticity. 

• Links & Attachments: The most common method used in phishing attacks is to use an email or text to prompt someone to click a link or download an attachment. Never download anything or click links from untrusted or unknown sources. Even if it appears to be from an in-company sender, don’t click on it and email the person directly to see if they were the ones to send it. 

Knowing these ways to spot and avoid phishing scams can make all the difference for you, your employees, your business, and the safety of everyone involved. If you want to keep your business even safer, invest in GoodSuite’s high-level cybersecurity services to keep your operation safe and running smoothly. Wondering what your risk level is? Take our Cyber Threat Assessment today to see if your business is currently vulnerable.