Phishing Attack Prevention: How to Identify & Avoid Phishing Scams

Phishing attacks are one of the most common security challenges that both individuals and companies face in keeping their information secure. Whether it's getting access to passwords, credit cards, or other sensitive information, hackers are using email, social media, phone calls, and any form of communication they can to steal valuable data. Businesses, of course, are a particularly worthwhile target.  

"How do companies fall victim to phishing attacks and how can they prevent them?"

Employees possess credentials and overall knowledge that is critical to the success of a breach of the company's security. One of the ways in which an intruder obtains this protected information is via phishing. The purpose of phishing is to collect sensitive information with the intention of using that information to gain access to otherwise protected data, networks, etc. A phisher's success is contingent upon establishing trust with its victims. We live in a digital age, and gathering information has become much easier as we are well beyond the dumpster diving days.

There are various phishing techniques used by attackers:

Embedding a link in an email that redirects your employee to an unsecured website that requests sensitive information

Installing a Trojan via a malicious email attachment or ad which will allow the intruder to exploit loopholes and obtain sensitive information

Spoofing the sender address in an email to appear as a reputable source and request sensitive information

Attempting to obtain company information over the phone by impersonating a known company vendor or IT department

Here are a few steps a company can take to protect itself against phishing:
 
Educate your employees and conduct training sessions with mock phishing scenarios.

Deploy a SPAM filter that detects viruses, blank senders, etc.

Keep all systems current with the latest security patches and updates.

Install an antivirus solution, schedule signature updates, and monitor the antivirus status on all equipment.

Develop a security policy that includes but isn't limited to password expiration and complexity.

Deploy a web filter to block malicious websites.

 Encrypt all sensitive company information. Convert HTML email into text only email messages or disable HTML email messages. Require encryption for employees that are telecommuting.

There are multiple steps a company can take to protect against phishing.

They must keep a pulse on the current phishing strategies and confirm their security policies and solutions can eliminate threats as they evolve.

It is equally as important to make sure that their employees understand the types of attacks they may face, the risks, and how to address them. Informed employees and properly secured systems are key when protecting your company from phishing attacks.