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The Biggest Cybersecurity Threat to Your Staff is Phishing
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Easily the largest cybersecurity vulnerability to any organization is the people involved with it. Phishing has grown to be an extremely pervasive and successful means of entry into the data of individuals and businesses alike. High levels of vigilance and proper training from a qualified team like the one at RAVENii in Kansas City will help drastically reduce this threat.

What is Phishing?

The fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages claiming to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers is known as phishing. Attackers will use the information they get through these attacks to then steal your money, identity, or the money and identities of your clientele. There are several types of phishing, each different in specific method but identical in objective.

Email Phishing

This is the most common type of phishing. The attacker will typically register a fake domain to mimic a legitimate organization, they will then use that email to send out generic requests for information from users. Frequently these email addresses involve character substitution, an example being placing the letters “r” and “n” together to look like the letter “m”. A general rule to enhance your team’s cybersecurity against these kinds of attacks is to teach your staff to always check the email address thoroughly for any message asking you to click a link or download an attachment. 

Spear Phishing

Spear phishing is a type of email phishing with specific targets. To use this type of attack, the hacker usually needs to have some information about the victim before initiating. These attacks are far more convincing due to the specific nature of the content. These attacks are often successful due to their ability to dodge the initial suspicion that mass email phishing attacks usually draw.

Whaling

Whaling describes spear phishing attacks specifically tailored for targeting senior members of an organization. This technique is characterized by a far more subtle approach, often using the pretext of a high-ranking member of the organization needing a simple favor that requires secure information. These cybersecurity attacks are often not as sophisticated as spear phishing emails, instead they play on an employee’s willingness to follow instructions from their boss.

Smishing and Vishing

For these types of attacks, the email method is replaced with contact through the phone. With smishing, the attacker will send a text message with content almost identical to email phishing. While with vishing, they will instead call you. 

Your employees will always be your most valuable asset, both in advancing your business or organization as well as in protecting your data. For this reason, strong cybersecurity starts with an educated workforce. Regularly giving updates and alerts about new types of attacks and reminding your staff to always be vigilant in electronic communications will lead to a much more secure network environment. Additionally, a SOC can monitor activity on your network, flagging and suspending accounts engaging in suspicious activity. The best bet will always be for your employees to not let attacks be successful, but a reliable security service from a company you can trust, like RAVENii, can help reduce the aftermath of successful attacks.

To learn about how RAVENii can help evaluate your cybersecurity contact us online or call us at (844) 317-0944.

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