Know Thy Enemy: Warning Signs of Phishing

Four Variables of Phishing

Before we outline the four things you should be looking for to identify a phishing message, we wanted to say that these attacks can happen over any type of communication. You can just as easily be phished over the phone or through the mail as you can over email or through instant message. Most phishing messages are delivered through email, but they can come from any direction. 

Let?s go through four variables of a phishing message:

#1 – There is a Real Sense of Urgency

While a lot of the messages that we get in business are demanding, there is something extraordinary about a phishing message. Essentially, phishing messages will urge the reader to take immediate action. This action could be in the form of clicking on links, downloading attachments, or giving over credentials that the hacker will then use to infiltrate organizational computing networks and steal data, deploy malware, or other negative situations.  

#2 – Poor Grammar and Spelling

Many of these messages are created with the notion that the reader will be fooled by the overall legitimacy of the message. Many times they are sent as being from financial institutions or insurance companies. Typically, however, there are signs within the message itself that can signal its illegitimacy. Variables like misspelled words, poor use of grammar, and other red flags can tip users that the message is not legitimate. 

#3 – The Domain Is Not Right

When someone sends an official email from a business, typically the domain name of the email address that is sending the email will represent the organization that the message is coming from. If the address doesn?t come from the organization that is sending the message, that is a giant red flag. Most reputable organizations pay good money to host their own domain and if the address you are getting a message from doesn?t represent that, you have to believe that it is a scam. 

#4 – Suspicious Aura of the Message

You know the type of messages that you typically get. If a message you receive doesn?t meet the criteria of ?normal? you, at the very least, need to verify with the presumed sender of the message that it is legitimate. If it feels off, it probably is. Make sure you get this confirmation through a different means of communication.

Phishing messages are the most common way that hackers gain access to systems and deliver malware. As a result, you need to make sure that your staff is thoroughly trained on what variables to look for so they don?t put your whole organization in danger. For more information about phishing or to get some help implementing a training strategy at your place of business, give the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services a call today at (603) 889-0800.

White Mountain IT

Related Posts

Maintaining Data Security Is the Most Important Tip We Can Give You

Tips are great as long as they actually work. Business owners need more technology tips than just about anything else, whether that is app-specific or general care of technology. We try to do our best to provide useful tips a couple of times a month, but this week we wanted to focus on what is probably the most important tip we can provide. The most important tip for business computing is to pr...

How to Prepare Your Business for Any Form of Disaster

Assessing Your Data Backup Needs To kickstart your disaster recovery strategy, it is crucial to assess your data backup needs. This involves identifying the types of data you possess, their importance to your operations, and the frequency at which they change. Conducting a thorough data audit will enable you to prioritize your backup efforts and allocate resources effectively. Implementing a Rob...

Tip of the Week: Zip and Unzip Compressed Files

Have you ever seen the file types that look like normal folders, but they have a zipper on the icon? These are ZIP files, and they are helpful for a variety of reasons. We’re sure you have encountered zipped files throughout your time using technology, and today, we want to demystify them a little bit and show you how to use them effectively. What are Zipped Files? The easy way to explain a ZI...

Tip of the Week: Control Your Mouse with Your Keyboard (Really)

Have you ever heard of mouse keys? It’s an accessibility feature of Windows 11 that lets you control your mouse cursor using the keyboard. It’s helpful for when your mouse stops working, or if the batteries die and you don’t have another you can use. Here’s how you can make the most of mouse keys for your Windows 11 PC. How to Turn Mouse Keys On or Off To turn on mouse keys, you can use the fo...