In any business, security is of the essence. An employee opening up a seemingly innocent email attachment, which isn’t what it seems on the surface, can jeopardize the entire operation. With the pace of work and the growing sophistication of cyber attackers, what can be done? A few simple practices can go a long way.
First of all, don’t lose sight of the reality that hackers are creating sneaky emails to impersonate your clients, vendors and other “familiar” contacts. Before opening any attachments or clicking on any links via email, always verify the sender by confirming their email domain. Here are some examples of common phishing tactics:
- Emails contain links – even from friends, family, coworkers or clients
- The communication contains a download, such as a picture, file or document
- You receive a response to a question you never asked
- You are asked to verify information or a password via a link
- There is a sense of urgency or a warning if you fail to act
- The message includes far-fetched schemes or scenarios
Extreme caution with email, in particular, is needed. Unless you know for sure that an email is legitimate, delete it. It’s just not worth the risk! Don’t forget to share this information with employees and coworkers. You may even consider implementing security training company-wide, as the best offense is a good defense.
