One of the biggest online threats to any business, phishing, is something that every business needs to be aware of and ready to fight against. Whilst having precautions in place can help you to have a basic level of protection against attacks, the value that staff phishing training can have to your business is simply unrivalled. The increased vigilance and awareness allows you to avoid any potential threats before they even arise, and quickly deal with any real threats.
The effects of a successful phishing attempt can be fatal to any business, no matter the size. Anyone in the company is susceptible, so it’s vital that you show your entire staff what the dangers are, how to identify them, and the steps that are needed to combat the attacks.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to gain access to information by posing as a respectable or familiar entity via electronic communication. This usually comes in the form of emails asking for details in a huge variety of ways – some are fairly obvious such as the age-old Nigerian Prince offering you money (all he needs is your bank account details!), but others are far more sophisticated and target attacks on demographic and current trends to seem infinitely more believable – there’s things like fake tracking links for a parcel or a tax rebate claim form that convinces you that you’re owed a refund whilst they take thousands from you.
A simple click on a link in the wrong email can unleash a huge web of malware and infiltration sent by criminals, so knowledge and know-how regarding phishing are imperative to the safety of your business.
How Do You Prevent Attacks?
The best way to keep your business safe from phishing attempts is to shut down the threat before it becomes dangerous, this mostly consists of staff being able to identify unusual emails or links, then disposing of those messages in the necessary manner.
Phishing training is a fantastic way to give your staff the knowledge and tools they need to combat against dangerous phishing attempts, putting your staff in a life-like phishing situation and showing them exactly how to deal with these situations in a real-life scenario that’s easy to resonate with – this visual and hands-on way of learning really tends to stick and makes the education process a more effective and relatable one.
Combatting Phishing Attacks
In scenarios where you can’t prevent the attack or when the infiltration is already happening, it’s incredibly important to understand how to fight against this and shut it down before the effects become too damaging. One of the most imperative parts of a phishing attack response is speed – hackers don’t need too much time to get in and out of your files and access vital data, so the speediness of your response could be the split seconds you need to prevent the criminals from getting a hold of any sensitive or crippling information.
You can control the spread of malware throughout a system or network by disconnecting your computer, laptop, or tablet from the network and internet – this should stagnate the growth of any virus throughout a wider network. Changing your details is also a great way to control the impact of an attack, making the existing details that have been stolen redundant.
You’ll get information and best practices for combatting phishing as part of your phishing training too, so if you’re looking for top-quality attack preparation throughout your business, specialist training is the perfect solution for you and your staff. Online threats can be incredibly deceptive and enticing, with even the most prepared occasionally falling into the trap of some of the more intelligent attempts. Keep your business safe and put yourself at an advantage online by properly preparing your company for a phishing situation.