Phishing Attacks Not Going Away Soon
… training your employees to recognize when an attack is taking place. In fact, your end-users are your first line of defense against cybercriminals. Check out these three steps to follow to make security top-of-mind in your organization.
1. Document it.
Does your organization have a cybersecurity policies and procedures document in place? Regardless of the size of your organization, you need to have a detailed plan in case of a cybersecurity attack. It’s especially important to document action items, in case your end-users do encounter any compromises, either perceived or real.
2. Education, education, education.
It’s quite rare to see Hollywood’s version of breaching a company’s network: some person in a dark basement, staring intently at a screen, typing furiously on their glowing keyboard, intent on breaching a company’s firewall to steal secrets. Most of the time, it’s far easier for that threat actor to send a simple phishing email to your employees and wait for them to click on the malicious link instead. So, educating your employees is, quite literally, your first line of defense.
3. Accidents happen, so have a backup plan. As mentioned before, accidents do happen. These threat actors are getting quite crafty in their messaging. So, it’s inevitable that, regardless of how much education you give your end-users, or what documents are in place, your end-users still might fall victim to a phishing attack. When this happens, it’s important to make sure that you’ve got the proper tools in place to mitigate any potential threats.
Useful Tool to Protect from Phishing Attacks
Protecting your organization from phishing attacks doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, there are several tools to help successfully detect and prevent phishing attacks. One such tool is Microsoft Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), which uses multiple components to protect your inbox from various phishing attacks.
Office 365 ATP and other similar products can offer real-time protection for not only your mailboxes, but also any online storage, files or other applications you might be using. Plus, you can also gain valuable insights into who in your organization is being targeted, what kinds of attacks you’re facing, and who in your organization has actually clicked on malicious links or attachments. This can provide insight into which of your employees might need a little extra training.
Whether we like it or not, phishing attacks are here to stay. Protect your organization by investing in technology that can help you stay secure and train your employees on how to recognize threats. By following these two pieces of advice, you’re far less likely to become just another statistic.
Marc Mendez, a solutions architect at ProServeIT Corp., has a passion for cybersecurity. He is a Certified Information Security Systems Professional and is working on a certification in Digital Forensics. ProServeIT strives to help customers adopt cutting-edge technology that will help them manage their advanced cybersecurity risks and secure their identities, data and devices. ProServeIT can provide customized cybersecurity solutions that help you expect the best as you prepare for the worst. Follow @ProServeIT on Twitter and Marc on LinkedIn. Contact ProServeIT’s cybersecurity experts here.
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