Phishing

Last Friday on the BusinessBunker Xtra Radios Show  we briefly introduced what ‘Phishing’ is, and how you can help protect yourself against these most commonly responsible forms of attacks.  

So what is Phishing?

Phishing is the attempt to obtain your sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, for malicious or criminal reasons, by pretending to be from a trustworthy entity in an email. Phishing scams are constantly being developed and without staying on top of these new techniques, you could inadvertently fall prey to one. Keep your eyes peeled for news about new phishing scams. By finding out about them as early as possible, you will be at much lower risk of getting snared by one. 

Think Before You Click! – It’s fine to click on links when you’re on trusted sites. Clicking on links that appear in random emails and instant messages, however, maybe not so much. Try hovering over links that you are unsure of before clicking on them. Do they lead where they are supposed to lead? A phishing email may claim to be from a legitimate company and when you click the link to the website, it may look exactly like the real website. The email may ask you to fill in the information, but the email may not contain your name. Most phishing emails will start with “Dear Customer” so you should be alert when you come across these emails. When in doubt, go directly to the source rather than clicking a potentially dangerous link. 

Install an Anti-Phishing Toolbar – Most popular Internet browsers can be customized with anti-phishing toolbars. Such toolbars run quick checks on the sites that you are visiting and compare them to lists of known phishing sites. If you stumble upon a malicious site, the toolbar will alert you about it. This is just one more layer of protection against phishing scams, and it is completely free. 

Verify a Site’s Security – It’s natural to be a little wary about supplying sensitive financial information online. If you are on a secure website, however, you shouldn’t run into any trouble. Before submitting any information, make sure the site’s URL begins with “https” and there should be a closed lock icon near the address bar. Check for the site’s security certificate as well. If you get a message stating a certain website may contain malicious files, do not open the website. Never download files from suspicious emails or websites. Even search engines may show certain links which may lead users to a phishing webpage which offers low cost products. If the user makes purchases at such a website, the credit card details will be accessed by cybercriminals. 

Check Your Online Accounts Regularly – If you don’t visit an online account for a while, someone could be having a field day with it. Even if you don’t need to, check in with each of your online accounts on a regular basis. Get into the habit of changing your passwords regularly too. To prevent bank phishing and credit card phishing scams, you should personally check your statements regularly. Get monthly statements for your financial accounts and check every entry carefully to ensure no fraudulent transactions have been made without your knowledge. 

Keep Your Browser Up to Date – Security patches are released for popular browsers all the time. They are released in response to the security loopholes that phishers and other hackers inevitably discover and exploit. If you typically ignore messages about updating your browsers, stop. The minute an update is available, download and install it. 

Use Firewalls – Firewalls create a ‘buffer zone’ between your own network and external networks (such as the Internet). Most popular operating systems now include a firewall, so it may simply be a case of switching this on. These act as buffers between you, your computer and outside intruders. You should use two different kinds: a desktop firewall and a network firewall. The first option is a type of software, and the second option is a type of hardware and when used together, they drastically reduce the odds of hackers and phishers infiltrating your computer or your network. 

Be Wary of Pop-Ups – Pop-up windows often masquerade as legitimate components of a website. All too often, though, they are phishing attempts. Many popular browsers allow you to block pop-ups; you can allow them on a case-by-case basis. If one manages to slip through the cracks, don’t click on the “cancel” button; such buttons often lead to phishing sites. Instead, click the small “x” in the upper corner of the window. 

Never Give Out Personal Information – As a general rule, you should never share personal or financially sensitive information over the Internet. If in doubt, check it out, go visit the main website of the company in question, get their number and give them a call. Most of the phishing emails will direct you to pages where entries for financial or personal information are required. Never enter your personal details through the links provided in the emails and never send an email with sensitive information to anyone. Make it a habit to check the address of the website. A secure website always starts with “https”. 

Use Antivirus Software – There are plenty of reasons to use antivirus software. Special signatures that are included with antivirus software guard against known technology workarounds and loopholes. Just be sure to keep your software up to date. New definitions are added all the time because new scams are also being dreamed up all the time. Anti-spyware and firewall settings should be used to prevent phishing attacks and users should update the programs regularly. Firewall protection prevents access to malicious files by blocking the attacks. Antivirus software scans every file which comes through the Internet to your computer. It helps to prevent damage to your system. 

You don’t have to live in fear of phishing scams. By keeping the above tips in mind, you should be able to enjoy a worry-free online experience. For more information and assistance or specific support, you can contact me via [email protected]

About Richard Bell

Richard is one of our co-hosts of Business Bunker Xtra, you can hear him every month between 11-12 on our show. Specialising in client support for ‘all things security’ in UK, Europe, UAE and US, Richard previously worked for Transport for London (TfL) where he was involved in some of the most significant threats London faced in recent times, including the 7/7 bombings, Olympics and atrocities at Westminster and London Bridge. He led TfL’s strategic and tactical cyber response programme implementation to ensure resiliency. Richard is a Fellow of The Security Institute, Member of the Association of Security Consultants and a Registered Independent Security Consultant. In recent times, he has twice been named within a Global Top 40 List of Security Influencers and is regularly invited to Chair and present at a number of conferences throughout the Europe and beyond. Follow on Twitter @securityspeak 

About Ten Intelligence

With teams in our Kent, London and Dubai offices, our consultants consistently deliver due diligence, investigations, brand protection and security & privacy advisory services. Ten Intelligence prides itself on maintaining an outstanding and consistent reputation for excellence, integrity and success, building long term and rewarding relationships with our clients, associates, consultants and others with whom we do business with. Follow on Twitter @TenIntelligence