Today, the vast majority of companies rely on the internet for all of their daily operations. If your company lost access to the internet, there is a good chance that you would fall significantly behind your peers. Even though the internet is a valuable tool, it also leaves you vulnerable. You need to invest in cybersecurity practices and procedures that can protect your company from harm. Still, the reality is that any cyber security defense system is only as strong as its weakest link.
Unfortunately, the “weakest links” in many cases are your employees. It is important for you to give your employees the tools they need to protect themselves, the company, and your clients. If your employees do not understand all of the risks that come with using the internet, your information could be vulnerable. That is why you need to invest in email phishing training. Phishing security awareness is more important than it has ever been in the past. That’s why you need to learn more about the phishing education for employees we offer! Make sure you give your employees the tools they need to protect themselves and your company. Keep reading to learn more about phishing and how Exact IT has the cybersecurity resources your team needs to stay protected.
What Does Phishing Mean?
When we are talking about cyber security phishing awareness training, we need to define what this means. When we are talking about phishing attacks, we are referring to attacks that are executed by trying to convince someone to surrender their username and password. One of the top phishing email examples is receiving an email asking you for your social security number because the IRS is looking for you. The IRS would never try to “find you” via email. These emails can come in many shapes and forms, and they are designed to steal someone’s identity so they can use it for nefarious purposes.
When we are talking about phishing attacks involving a company, a hacker may try to target one of your employees, convincing them that they work for the business. Then, they will try to convince that employee to surrender their username and password. With credentials in hand, a hacker may try to use the information to steal confidential information from your company by logging on to the server as that person. The best way to deal with this attack is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That is why free phishing awareness training is so necessary.
Where Did the Name Come From?
The name “phishing” got its name from hackers and cybercriminals decades ago. For as long as the internet has been around, people have been trying to use it for nefarious purposes. In the 1990s, they would send out emails with various hooks and lures. Their goal was to convince people to bite on the lure, surrendering their private information.
Now, even though the name is clever, the threat is more significant than it has ever been in the past. A lot of people have a large number of online accounts, and far too many people use the same username and password across all of them. That means that if a hacker gets a hold of one of their accounts, they can often access all of that.
According to recent surveys, there are millions of phishing attacks that take place every year. It is obvious that everyone needs to invest in training to understand how to protect themselves against phishing attacks, understand what these emails look like, and what they should do if they receive one of these emails. That way, they can protect themselves and their company from harm.
How To Spot a Phishing Email
Unfortunately, phishing emails have become more and more common over the past few years. It is important for everyone to understand how to spot them and what to do next. There are several signs that you could be dealing with a phishing email. Some of the most common signs include the following:
- Public Domain: If the email is coming from someone with a public domain, this is a sign that it is a phishing email. If the domain name matches the apparent sender of the email, the email is probably legitimate. This means no one will send a professional email from a company with an address that ends in Yahoo or Gmail. There is nothing wrong with these email servers, but it is not a server that a professional company would use. Even Google is not going to use Gmail. They are going to have a professional domain attached to the end of the email account. If there is a public domain asking for login credentials, that is a sign of a phishing attack.
- A Misspelled Domain Name in the Email: Another common sign of a phishing attack is a misspelled domain name. A lot of people know that nobody is going to trust the email if it has a public domain name. Therefore, they are going to try to use a domain name that looks more professional, but they cannot use the actual domain name because it is owned by the actual company. They will try to purchase one with a slight misspelling, assuming that no one will notice. For example, instead of receiving an email from “Microsoft,” the domain name might use “Microsft” instead. The hacker is banking on your oversight, but you need to train your employees to keep their eyes open for it!
- There Are Suspicious Links: You may notice suspicious links and attachments in the email as well. If you spot these, it is a sign that you are probably dealing with a phishing attack. You need to train your employees to understand that nobody will ever ask them to click on an unusual link or download a strange attachment.
- The Link Doesn’t Match the URL in the Email: Teach your employees that the link they see on their screen doesn’t always match the website they are headed to. In a lot of cases, a hacker will use an unusual link to direct someone to a web page that looks similar but has been designed to steal their keystrokes. Hover over the link with your cursor before clicking. A little floating box should appear where you can check and make sure the link actually matches up with the URL. If the URL looks fishy, that’s because it likely is—don’t click it and let your manager know!
Rely on Exact IT To Train Your Employees Against Phishing Attacks
There is a lot of information that hackers can steal if they can access your network and server. One of the easiest ways for them to do so is to convince your employees to surrender their login credentials through a phishing attack. If you want to make sure that your company is protected, you need to rely on a professional team that can get you set up with a reliable phishing tool.
With Exact IT, the best possible training is going to be paired with advanced tools that will give you a complete arsenal of support and education to protect your company accordingly. Some of the tools that you will get access to include:
- Complete Dashboard: You will get access to various rubrics that can evaluate how well your employees are doing. You can track your company as a whole, identify scores, and use this tool to identify problems you need to rectify before they lead to serious cybersecurity issues.
- Training Tab: Click on the training table to take a look at outstanding courses and previous course results. This makes it easier for you to track your employees as they go through the training program. It’s a great way to ensure everyone is completing the necessary training to ensure that your company is adequately protected.
- Micro Training: You can also access the micro training tab, where you can look at various smaller lessons that will help you augment your protection. For example, you can learn more about how you can properly protect your business by encouraging employees to use two-factor authentication. There are a lot of important lessons that will be covered.
- Dark Web: If you are concerned that some of your email addresses have been involved in a breach, make sure you utilize the dark web section. This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about areas of your company that may have been compromised. Then, you can rectify the situation before someone steals any of your confidential information.
- Newsletter: In order for you to make sure that your company is properly protected, you need to stay up-to-date on everything that is happening in your industry. You have a lot to do on a daily basis, and you probably cannot keep up with the latest cyber security news. We would be happy to provide you with the latest information, which you can use to make sure your business is protected.
Call Exact IT Today To Protect Your Company
In the end, there are a lot of threats in the current environment, and you must make sure that your business is properly protected. There is a lot for you to think about, and it is our pleasure to help you train your employees and provide you with access to the best tool that you can use to protect your digital identity.
At Exact IT, we have become one of the most trusted names in the industry because we consistently put the needs of our customers and clients ahead of our own. Now, we can do the same for you. We understand that phishing attacks can be difficult to spot, but with some training, we can give your employees the tools they need to protect themselves.
We continuously evaluate our program to make sure we provide you with access to the best tools in the industry. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you protect your company and your confidential information, contact us today! We are always available to assist you.