Most of us who have been on the internet for a while will know how to spot a dodgy email
Poorly written text with spelling mistakes, suspicious attachments, unfamiliar email addresses – the tell-tale signs are usually there. However, phishing scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to catch.
Phishing, smishing (text or SMS), and vishing (voice call) attacks have been growing in numbers over the past 18 months and unfortunately aren’t slowing down. With widespread remote working taking force last year, cyber-criminals were able to seize the opportunity that was laid out right in front of them. They were banking on the fact that home security networks were weaker than the ones implemented for office work. And, when security is weakened, the door opens for easier access to sensitive data.
But there are steps we can take to ensure our credentials are kept out of the hands of cybercriminals, in both our working and professional lives.
Be cautious across all channels
Although email is the primary vector for scams, threat actors are becoming much more comfortable with other methods too. Phishing links, credential harvesting sites, and other forms of social engineering can come through a suspicious text, an odd message through your social media account, or a weird phone call to either your personal or work phone line.
To stay one step ahead, it’s important to use the same caution and scepticism regardless of where the message comes…