Phishing attacks are a type of cyber attack where attackers try to trick you into revealing confidential information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and social security numbers. Phishing attacks can come in many forms, such as emails, text messages, and even phone calls.
How Phishing Attacks Work?
Once a user clicks on a malicious link in a phishing email, they may be taken to a fake website that looks like the real website of the company that the attacker is impersonating. On this fake website, the user may be asked to enter their login credentials, credit card information, or other personal information.
If the user enters their information on the fake website, the attacker will be able to steal it and use it to commit fraud or other crimes. For example, an attacker could use stolen login credentials to access a user’s bank account or email account.
How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks?
Here are some tips to help you protect yourself from phishing attacks:
- Be wary of emails from unknown senders.
- Do not click on links in emails unless you are sure that the email is legitimate
- If you are unsure whether an email is legitimate, contact the company that the email is supposedly from directly.
- Keep your software up to date, including your antivirus software and web browser.
- Use a strong password manager to create and store unique passwords for all of your online accounts.
How to Identify Phishing Emails?
There are a few things you can look for to identify phishing emails:
- Mismatched email addresses and URLs: If the email address of the sender or the URL of the link in the email does not match the website of the company that the email is supposedly from, it is likely a phishing email.
- Generic greetings: Phishing emails often use generic greetings, such as “Dear Customer” or “Dear User.” Legitimate emails from companies will usually address you by name.
- Poor grammar and spelling: Phishing emails often have poor grammar and spelling errors. Legitimate emails from companies will usually be well-written and free of errors.
- Urgent requests: Phishing emails often try to create a sense of urgency to pressure you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. For example, they may say that your account will be suspended if you do not take action immediately.
- Requests for personal information: Phishing emails often ask for personal information, such as your login credentials, credit card information, or social security number. Legitimate companies will never ask for this information via email.
Note:
If you receive an email that meets any of these criteria, it is likely a phishing email. Do not click on any links in the email or open any attachments. Instead, delete the email immediately.
What Is The Cost To Business?
Breaches cost, on average, over $130,000, and can reach into the Millions, resulting in many companies going out of business.
Phishing is identified as the second most common cause of data breaches, accounting for 16% of incidents. It is also the costliest cause, resulting in an average breach cost of $4.91 million for affected organizations.
What to Do if You Think You’ve Been Phished?
If you think you may have been phished, you should take the following steps:
- Contact the company that the attacker was impersonating immediately.
- Change your passwords for all of your online accounts.
- Monitor your bank accounts and credit reports for any suspicious activity.
If you have any concerns about phishing attacks, you can contact Looptech cybersecurity expert to provide your business with the best cybersecurity solutions.
