The threat of a cyber-attack is growing and with high profile hacking scandals filling the headlines, it seems like 2017 is the year businesses are finally waking up to the importance of cyber security. Protecting your business from hackers, specifically those using phishing techniques, has never been more vital, as FSB research shows that 66% of smaller businesses have been a victim of cybercrime with phishing scams accounting for 49%, making them the most common form of attack.
Phishing is an attempt by hackers to capture sensitive information from web users by posing as a legitimate and trustworthy source. The information requested ranges from account logins and personal passwords to banking and credit card details and is acquired through a range of techniques that trick the user into believing the request to be genuine.
The methods used by 'phishers' are getting more and more sophisticated, and recently Google Docs was hit by such a scam, as hackers sent out targeted emails that invited users to make edits on a Google Doc. The email appeared to be from the receiver's contact list but the link it contained was malicious, directing them to a fake webpage and tricking them into giving their details over to a third party.
Attacks like this are common in businesses of all sizes but their effects can be mitigated with proper employee education. Your employees are your strongest line of defense when it comes to protecting your business against hackers so we've put together a list of the most common phishing techniques to help you to identify a threat when it comes your way.
1. Email
Using emails to trick people into giving away personal information is the most common form of phishing attack. As we saw with the Google Docs example above, users are sent an email from an apparently 'trustworthy' source that contains a request for information, a malicious link or download.