Spotting Deception: Elevating Security Awareness to Combat Phishing Email Threats

End users must be aware of the signs of a phishing email to avoid becoming victims. Phishing emails are one of the go-to methods to access sensitive business information.

What are Phishing Emails?

Phishing emails are a method of fraud in which the attacker impersonates a trusted entity. These emails aim to get end users to click on a malicious link or attachment. Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated over the years; even the most seasoned email users can sometimes need help to spot them.

Even worse for employees who process many emails daily, the minor, subtle differences in an illegitimate email compared to a trusted source email can be small and easily overlooked.

How Can Phishing Email Training Simulation Help?

By testing end users and providing feedback, organizations can help employees learn how to identify phishing emails and protect themselves.

Organizations should have policies and procedures to report suspected phishing emails so these potential security incidents can be investigated and remediated quickly. By taking these steps, organizations can help assess how employees interact with the simulation and which end users require additional training.

Common Types Of Phishing Attacks Against Businesses

Here are some common types of phishing attacks that businesses need to be aware of:

Company Impersonation

One common type of phishing attack against businesses is company impersonation. In this attack, the attacker will impersonate a company to collect sensitive information from employees. This can be done by setting up a fake website that looks like the company’s login page or by sending emails that appear to be from the company. Company impersonation attacks are often hard to detect, as the attackers go to great lengths to make their messages and websites look legitimate. As a result, it is crucial for businesses to educate their employees about this attack and to be extra careful when sharing sensitive information online.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Another common type of phishing attack against businesses is known as the Business Email Compromise (BEC). These attacks usually involve attackers compromising the email account of a high-level employee, such as a CEO or CFO. Once the attacker has access to the report, they will send out emails purporting to be from the employee to other employees within the organization. These emails often contain instructions to make wire transfers or send confidential data. By following these instructions, the attackers can steal large sums of money or sensitive data from the business.

Email Account Takeover

In this type of phishing, criminals gain access to a business’s email account and then use it to send out phishing emails to the business’s contacts. This attack can be challenging to detect, as the emails appear to come from a trusted source.

These attacks are often more challenging to detect than general phishing emails, as they can appear to be from a reliable source. If you suspect your business has been the target of a phishing attack, you must contact your IT Support or security team immediately.

Phone Phishing or Voice Phishing

One of the most common types of phishing attacks is known as voice phishing or vishing. This scam typically involves a malicious actor spoofing a trusted company or individual’s caller ID to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information. In many cases, the attacker will pose as a customer service representative and attempt to extract the victim’s financial information or login credentials.

Email phishing is another common type of phishing attack, which occurs when an attacker sends out emails that appear to be from a legitimate organization or individual. When clicked on, these emails often contain links or attachments that install malware onto the victim’s computer or redirect them to a spoofed website designed to collect sensitive information. Email phishing scams are often targeted at larger businesses or organizations to gain access to customer data or internal company information.

Companies Fall Victim To Phishing Attacks By Not Having The Right Tools

Phishing attacks are a severe threat to businesses of all sizes. By impersonating a trusted source, attackers can trick employees into revealing sensitive information or infecting company systems with malware. Unfortunately, many businesses are ill-equipped to deal with these threats due to a lack of awareness and understanding. With the right tools, companies can avoid phishing attacks.

One of the most effective ways to combat phishing is through employee training in IT Services. By teaching employees how to identify suspicious emails and links, businesses can help to prevent these attacks before they happen. In addition, companies should consider investing in anti-phishing software, which can help to block malicious emails and report suspicious activity. By taking these precautions, businesses can help to protect themselves from the dangers of phishing attacks.

Careless Internet Browsing

Phishing attacks are a significant problem for Managed IT Services around the world. These attacks take advantage of employees who carelessly browse the internet, clicking on malicious links that infect their computers with viruses. Once a computer is infected, the attacker can access sensitive company data.

Phishing attacks can be very costly, not only in terms of lost data but also in terms of damage to a company’s reputation. As a result, any IT Company needs to educate its employees about how to avoid these attacks.

Are You Worried About Phishing Emails?

There are many security awareness training and simulated phishing platforms. A managed IT Service provider generally includes or offers this service and can train your employees to be more security aware and less likely to fall for phishing attacks.

These platforms make creating and sending simulated phishing attacks to your employees easy. They also provide comprehensive reporting to see which employees are most at risk. Training modules are then provided that can educate employees on how to quickly flag emails potentially sent from bad actors and avoid phishing attacks.

How Can Security Phishing Emails Test End-users Habits and Can Train Them to Spot Phishing Emails?

Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolve rapidly, making it more difficult for users to spot fake emails. IT Managed Services provide comprehensive software to send users phony phishing emails and measure the responses. Companies can better understand which employees will likely fall for phishing scams by doing this monthly or quarterly. They can then provide targeted training to these employees, teaching them how to spot fake emails and what to do if they receive one.