Did you know that one-third of all data breaches involve phishing and over 90% of malware is delivered via email? The pandemic has ushered in an unprecedented wave of phishing attempts, which is not surprising since employees are relying more heavily on email and cell phones while working from home. Cybercriminals continue to capitalize on COVID anxiety and constantly seek new ways to perpetrate phishing scams. Fraudulent or impersonation tactics are up 60% and mobile phishing is on the rise as hackers take advantage of smaller screens and shortened URLs that are harder to vet. How do companies and family offices defend against this increased assault?
Progressive organizations are using a holistic approach to reduce the attack surface and HR, IT and communications teams are working together to fight cybercrime. To bolster their front line of defense, firms are offering new workforce training modules to help raise cybersecurity awareness among employees. Training should cover phishing ‘red flags’ like emails requiring urgent action or claiming to enclose important information from a senior executive. Proper security awareness training will empower workers to examine emails and spot social engineering or phishing attempts before it is too late. Some firms are utilizing phishing simulator platforms to test employees and provide targeted training to employees who are duped by these simulated emails. IT departments can supplement training by deploying applications that provide alerts before an employee clicks on a questionable link. Also, employees need clear communications about the process to follow if they have received a suspicious email or accidentally clicked on malicious attachments or links. Quick notification can help IT teams contain a problem or alert others about an attempted attack.
Now more than ever, organizations need a comprehensive plan to repel phishing attacks. Click here to learn more about how Insite helps defend against cybercrime during these uncertain times.