Email is the Weapon of Choice
In an effort to further enhance our company’s cyber defenses, we want to highlight a common cyber-attack that everyone should be aware of – phishing.
"Phishing" is the most common type of cyber-attack that affects organizations like ours. Phishing attacks can take many forms, but they all share a common goal – getting you to share sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card information, or bank account details.
Although we maintain controls to help protect our networks and computers from cyber threats, we rely on YOU to be our first line of defense.
Just the facts
Cyber Attacker stole over $3 Billion over the past 3 years.
Main targets were small to mid-size companies
Whenever you see a link in an email, 99% of the time you should NOT click on it.
If you get an email from your bank or any other service (e.g., bill payments), always visit the website manually. No copy and paste. No direct clicking.
25% of all emails sent to EL Hollingworth in February contained spam, virus, malware or other policy offenses
Beware of Phishing Scams
Phishing is a form of social engineering that attempts to steal sensitive information. An attacker's goal is to compromise systems to obtain usernames, passwords, and other account and/or financial data.
Some phishing signs to look out for
Be wary. In fact, whenever your personal information is ever brought up in a non-face-to-face capacity, your scam detector should go off loud and clear.
Beware of the email that urges you to verify your account details by clicking a link
The sender claims you need to change your username and password -NEVER click on link include in an email to change passwords
An urgent request for your personal information i.e. username and password.
Beware of emails wanting you to download an attachment that you weren’t expecting.
Beware of emails using poor English spelling and grammar, or is articulated in an unprofessional way
Rule of thumb NEVER open links sent to you in an email – ALWAYS type the URL
Hover your mouse over the link. to check spelling of URL
Never Click Links in Emails
Reasons You Should Not Click on Links sent via E-mail!
The first reason they contain viruses.
Regardless, of how reliable the senders maybe, if you are not expecting the link, do not click on it. Your senders account may have been hacked, compromised or infected with a virus without them being aware of it.
The link may take you to a website that’s infected with a Trojan
The website would become a portal for the hacker to enter your computer and, access your passwords, security details etc.
Some e-mails come from seemingly legitimate companies. You may get an e-mail from “Pay Pal” telling you, you need to change my password. The ‘from’ address looks legit, and yet, it’s not. If you click on the link you will be giving someone with nefarious purposes, access to your pay pal account.
Never open dating, sexual, medicine related links no matter how legitimate they seem. If they offer 10% off and, you really need that Viagra pill, search 10% 0ff Viagra and, if it’s legit, you will get the same offer.
You will not get millions in an e-mail. Never click on a link telling you that you have won a lottery or you have been left millions by a long lost relative.
The malware that will compromise your network is not in the e-mail, so the e-mail slips past security gateways. The malware is delivered when the curious recipient clicks on the URL in the e-mail to visit a website.
Again,
