Email is a vital business tool today – but it is also a huge vulnerability. It is not enough to have spam filters in place anymore, as many potentially dangerous emails still make it through. Phishing has become a big problem for organisations – phishing emails today can be so realistic that they can easily fool someone who does not know what to look for when it comes to suspect messages. So, how do you ensure that you have got adequate email phishing protection in place?
What is email phishing?
It is the practice of sending fraudulent emails that are designed to look like they have come from a genuine company or customer. Their purpose is to get the recipient to click on a link, to make a payment or hand over personal information and payment data. Even though we are all aware of phishing today, it remains a very effective source of revenue for cybercriminals. That is because the sophistication of phishing emails continues to increase, and it can be very difficult to tell the difference between a genuine and a scammer message.
Why does this matter?
It is not just about the financial loss that can occur if a phishing email is successful in extracting financial data. If you think you are talking to a customer you know, or a company you trust, then you may have no second thoughts about opening their attachments or clicking on links they send you. However, doing this may unleash ransomware or another type of malware that could completely cripple your systems. This usually starts with one person’s email account being hacked. From there, the cybercriminals can build up a picture of the victim and start looking for ways to mimic them to their contacts for their own gain.
How can you ensure email phishing protection?
It requires a dual approach of having the right technology in place and giving the individuals within your organisation the opportunity to be aware of the potential problems. There is plenty of technology out there that is designed to help you minimise the potential for a successful phishing attack. Microsoft Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection, for example, will scan all incoming emails and open attachments in a test environment to make sure they are safe before they get to recipients. It can also analyse mailbox behaviours going back up to a year, looking for patterns in communications so that phishing emails that do not fit can be automatically flagged. The use of multi-factor authentication is also vital to ensure that email accounts are safe – that means using more than one way to validate identity, such as a password plus a code sent to a device. And finally, providing regular training to your workforce on the most recent phishing threats will mean they understand what to look for if a strange email does arrive.
Phishing is a big threat today, but it does not have to cripple your business when you have the right protection in place. SADS IT offer cyber security services for local businesses across London and the South East of England. Not only do we provide protection, but we also guide our clients through the processes of passing their cyber essentials accreditation exam. If you are interested in taking extra steps to protect your business from cyber attacks, contact us today.
