Email scams or phishing, as it is known within the cybersecurity space, has become one of the foremost threats for businesses over the past couple of years. A potential reason why phishing now accounts for 90% of data breaches could be due to the fact that many of us remain woefully unaware of what these threats really are and what they look like - cybercriminals no longer dangle tantalising, outlandish offers via email.
Unfortunately, this type of knowledge is crucial in this day and age, when security breaches are on the rise. So, how do you defend your company against email scams?
Knowledge is power. By educating your staff on what new-age email scams look like - most notably emails from supposedly reputed, well-known individuals or organisations requesting confidential data - you’ve already taken the first step towards more effective cybersecurity.
In this process, make sure that your training is not organised poorly or conducted by someone who has just done an extensive Google search on the subject. Bring in experts who can add real value and impart useful tips on how to avoid email scams.
You can even consider having a review mechanism in place where you frequently update what you’ve learned at regular intervals.
Beyond being trained to detect email scams, it’s important that this knowledge is tested every now and then to keep things fresh.
Social engineering - a form of security testing where users are manipulated into providing sensitive information or access to certain systems - is one of the primary methods used to test how prepared employees are to respond to email scams.
Beyond employee preparedness, social engineering is also a great way to see if your cybersecurity software is up to par as well.
While this sounds like common sense and a very basic recommendation, much of the harm or damage inflicted by email scams could be averted by avoiding clicking links or downloading attachments from any emails that ask you to perform these actions.
Obviously clicking links and opening attachments are a part of regular business activity - if it’s from someone you know and trust, that’s fine. If it’s from someone you don’t know or is from a financial institution you’re not familiar with, mark it as spam immediately.
Cybersecurity software can also play an important role in defending your company against emails scams. By choosing the right security applications, you fortify your defences and bridge any gaps in your defence, especially because employees are humans too - and humans tend to make mistakes from time to time.
By updating your software frequently, you also ensure that they’re primed to detect newer types of threats that you may not be aware of. They also provide instant guidance on how you can avoid risks or avert attacks, which can act as useful reminders on what you should be doing.
What does this have to do with email scams, you may ask?
Well, overall security checks will make sure that everything is as it should be within your systems. Sometimes, you may not know whether you’ve accidentally triggered the effects of a scam email. Through a thorough security audit, you can make sure that your data is safe and your security software is doing what it’s supposed to.
Emails scams are woefully common. While there’s little you can do to prevent them from coming your way in the first place, knowing how to identify a scam when you see one and what you should and should not be doing, thereafter, can go a long way in preventing the disastrous effects of a successful attack.