At Winsor Consulting, we see Iowa businesses fall victim to phishing scams on a regular basis. And while we all would like to think we’d never fall for such schemes, cybercriminals are getting craftier in their approaches as time goes on. Imitating big brands like Microsoft, DHL, Google, Amazon, and more, they use logos, brand colors, and common errors like locked accounts or fake fraud messages to panic recipients into clicking malicious links or providing credentials.
On average, organizations remediate 1,185 phishing attacks each month. That’s nearly 40 attacks a day! And a surprising number of these scams accomplish what the attackers set out to do. In fact, 74% of attacks targeting American businesses like phishing were successful, according to Expert Insights.
But you don’t have to fall into the statistics. Here are four phishing prevention tips for your Iowa business you can use to stop phishing attacks.
Email Security
Phishing prevention is within your control with email security filters. Email security filters scan employees’ computers for malicious content and block the delivery of bad emails while allowing the delivery of good ones. Email security also can stop an email before it ever reaches its intended recipient. It can be deployed as a cloud service or as an on-premises application. Other software, like post-delivery protection, sits in your email and monitors for suspicious activity. It keeps an eye on inbound, outbound, and internal communications for malicious content and uses AI and machine learning to identify and recognize individuals’ communication while scanning their email for questionable activity.
Cybersecurity Training
Employees who have completed security awareness training are more likely to report a suspicious email. In fact, after completing one year of training, organizations of all sizes saw an 87% improvement rate, according to the latest KnowBe4 Phishing by Industry report. After some training, your employees can become your biggest defenders against phishing attacks, rather than prime targets.
Backup Your Data
Did you know that nearly 75 percent of cyberattacks targeting U.S. businesses end up successful? One in five of those cyberattacks are attributed to phishing. To add to the threat, hackers of all types are increasing their activities. When your data is breached, the key to preventing downtime, brand damage, and a recovery lag is to have backups in place. The best way to combat cyberattacks, like phishing, is to maintain frequent backups in multiple locations. And be sure to test often.
Incorporate a Managed IT Partner
Managed service providers, or MSPs, can enable your devices with SEG, set up PDP, and provide insights on the latest phishing ploys circulating your area. Even better, an MSP can provide a robust set of security measures to protect your data from cyber threats. Outsourcing your IT security needs means you can let your MSP handle the headaches of staying ahead of cyber threats and potential breaches.
Cyber risks are only as strong as your security solutions. Even though the possibility of a cyberattack is frightening, Winsor Consulting can help you relax knowing we have your back 24/7. Contact us today and take back control of your business security.
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