Phishing attacks are evolving and growing more serious every second. They are a form of social engineering that target faults in human nature rather than technology. This is done in an effort to obtain important information. 

Many times this involves bank account or other sensitive information. In many cases hackers do this by  accessing your username and password for accounts like these. These scams can lead to a whole lot of headache and even worse, a loss of funds.

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There are a number of different types of phishing attacks. In many cases the attempts are made through phishing messages and emails and in recent events, text messages. Learning more about the different kinds of these attacks like spear phishing, for example, will help you operate more safely as a device user. 

An example of spear phishing would usually take the form of an email that involves something like a notification for a recent purchase. This usually gives the end user a sense of urgency and they end up clicking on the link. Typically this leads them to a fake website where they will ultimately and unintentionally hand over their login credentials for a specific site. 

This is a simple mistake anyone could make and shows how we are all vulnerable to hacking. 

Human Error

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Unfortunately, social engineers have created a system that really works. Additionally, more data breaches than not are caused by employee error. Many times, this is directly caused by a phishing scheme. 

According to CompTIA’s International trends in Cybersecurity research, most cybersecurity breaches were caused due to a direct effect of users who were lured by nondescript links and payloads delivered via browsers and email respectively. In 2019, the human error caused 90% of data breaches in the UK. 

If your team isn’t prepared you’re not protected. This is why implementing a phish testing solution through a Managed Service Provider is so important.

What is Phish Testing?

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Phish testing entails sending simulated phishing emails to your company members to monitor what percentage of people are attracted to them. Each member that opens the mock email will continue to be phish tested until they aren’t opening these messages anymore. This sort of solution adds an additional layer of security for your organization. It’s just as important as having an anti-virus, anti-spam, or firewall.

Along with that, it sets the standard for what kind of email monitoring habits your team has developed. Any business communication should be looked at with a watchful eye even if it’s from inside the company.

Another form of phishing involves a lower level employee being tricked into making a large purchase because they are instructed to, by someone who they believe is their superior. Most people wouldn’t think twice before completing a task that was given to them by their “CEO.” This just goes to show you it’s best to treat any email correspondence with caution.

So Many Benefits

Additionally, there are more benefits that go along with phish testing through a Managed Service Provider. First, through customized landing pages and user education, employees easily learn phishing warning signs. After all, the purpose of phish testing is to prepare your team so well that it limits the success rate of phishing  attacks.

This kind of testing also provides your company with recurring phishing statistics on your organization which you can compare to others in the industry. Along with that, this will give you a sense of what kind of landing pages and incentives your team is attracted to. This is helpful because it heightens their awareness to these scams.

Tips on How to Spot a Phish

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Watch out for errors in:

  • Sender Email Address
  • Sender Name
  • Writing Format
  • Grammar and Spelling
  • Logo Design

When it comes to links in emails:

  • Hover over any link you receive in an email to confirm it’s legitimate and make that practice a habit.
  • Don’t ever click on a link that asks you to verify your information. That’s an easy way to get your credentials stolen.
  • If you think your account needs updating type the site in yourself on a web browser to check.

Phish testing is one way to stay ahead of hackers. Contact The TNS Group today for more information on how to prepare your team.

Categories: Managed Service Provider, MSP Blogs