Phishing attacks and their various versions, like “spear” and “whaling”, are gaining notoriety for their use in devastating cybercrime campaigns that see firms facing serious financial consequences. Phishing techniques sometimes use social engineering to convince employees to share confidential information or credentials allowing, attackers to penetrate a company’s network deeper. Phishing attacks are also employed to deliver malicious payloads that spread ransomware, encrypting enterprise operating systems and data stores.
The first step to combatting phishing threats is by raising awareness at every level of your operation from the first point of contact reception staff to your CEO. Here, we’ll explore phishing awareness for firms, discussing the ways it helps protect companies from insidious assaults unleashed by modern cybercriminals.
Identification and understanding
All employees must be taught how to identify a phishing attempt, especially executive level staff as they often have greater access rights that, if exploited, can be especially dangerous in the hands of an attacker. From poor grammar and demands for urgent action to spoofed email addresses, all personnel should know the hallmarks of phishing strategies.
They must also be informed of threats lurking in phishing emails and understand that they should never click on downloads or follow links placed within the content. If a particular action is requested, this should always be verified by an authentic source, and staff should type official web addresses into their browser to ensure they visit real sites and not scammed versions.
Taking appropriate action
Staff who are aware of phishing threats will not only spot attacks and understand the potential pitfalls contained in emails so they can avoid them, but they will also know what to do when they receive them.
Employees who are properly educated and drilled will follow the correct protocol and report phishing attempts to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and their team. They can then investigate threats, with an appropriate risk assessment, and take their own actions as required. For example, if a phishing website, a fake email address or malicious domain is used in the content of a phishing message, these can be added to a company blacklist containing future threats.
Putting the best defences in place
If you’re looking for ways to shore up your company’s cybersecurity defences, we at Galaxkey have simplified the process with a solution that is both practical and easy to use.
Our platform has no back doors that hackers can exploit and access, and never stores a user password, ensuring no vulnerable credentials are left exposed where they can be easily harvested. Single-click encryption empowers your staff with a method of protecting data that quick and simple to understand, ensuring it is always used effectively.
Designed to keep data safe, our system will also ensure your firm stays compliant with data regulators like the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and has been approved by the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Get in touch with us today and explore a wealth of useful tools to protect your company by experiencing an online demonstration followed by a free 14-day trial.
