Whether you own a business or are simply trying to manage a household budget, phishing scams and cyberattacks are a risk to your security.
According to Proofpoint’s 2021 State of the Phish Report, more than 80% of organizations fell victim to a phishing scam the previous year. A frustrating aspect to this fraud is that despite most people knowing it can happen, many still get caught up in it, oftentimes even entering personal or financial information.
Scams are increasingly on the rise and typically occur via email, masked phone calls, pop-ups or through social media messaging. Emails can often sound so personal that the receiver assumes it’s from someone they know well. There are several actions that organizations and individuals can take to protect themselves and their assets from phishing and cyberattacks.
1. Do not click on suggested links: It’s advised not to click on any link offered through an email or social media messaging, even if you think you know the sender. Some phishing attacks are sophisticated enough to make the destination URL look like a carbon copy of a genuine site with the goal to record keystrokes or steal login/credit card information. If you feel it may be a legitimate link, go to the site straight through a search engine as opposed to clicking on the link.
2. Scrutinize the sending email address: One of the easiest ways to detect a scam is to look closely at the email address sending the message. If it’s a gmail account or…
