Phishing is a type of email fraud that occurs when someone tries to trick you into providing personal information or clicking on a malicious link. It’s becoming increasingly common, so it’s important to know how to identify phishing emails and protect yourself from these scams. Read on to learn how you can protect yourself.
1. Don’t trust the display name – Email addresses and domain names can be easily spoofed; it is critical to check the display name and domain name even on “trusted senders.”
2. Don’t trust URL text; this can also easily be faked. Hover over links to see the true web address; if it’s different from what is displayed or looks suspicious, don’t click it.
3. Check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Businesses and IT departments spend a lot of time proofreading their messages before distributing them. Phishing emails often contain poorly structured sentences, incorrect capitalization, and incorrect punctuation.
4. Recognize requests for personal or company information. Companies should never ask for personal information, and banks will not request detailed information via email.
5. Beware of urgent or threatening language; forced urgency is a common phishing tactic for the victim to act without thinking.
6. Think about why you are receiving the email and ask yourself, should this email be coming to me? Attackers often key off a person’s curiosity to lure them in. Why would you receive a “Payment Pending” email if you don’t work in finance?
Lastly, when in doubt, reach out to your IT/IT Security group so appropriate action can be taken. Do not respond to emails, and do not click on any links or attachments found in the suspicious email.
If you’re looking for an IT partner who understands the importance of data security, contact Dalechek today. We can help you design a managed services program that fits your organization’s needs and keeps your data safe.