Worried About Phishing Scams, Email Attacks? 8 Warning Signs You're in Danger, 4 Ways to Stop It

Security company Tessian recently issued a warning for business leaders. Malicious actors are now using hacking strategies that target companies with email attacks and phishing scams through their employee's accounts.

The strategy may seem simple. However, it proves to be very effective. Hacking through an employee's account lets hackers fake their identity and bypass security, giving them access to the company's sensitive files.

According to Tessian, this type of attack has increased since last year. Between July 2020 to July 2021, Tessian analyzed over 2 million emails and scams that bypass traditional system defenses with this strategy.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals have shows no signs of stopping their attacks. The security company is now warning people to stay alert and avoid from these phishing scams.

8 Warning Signs You're in Danger of Phishing Scams

According to Forbes, there are eight indicators for this attack. The key vulnerability is the company employees, who are susceptible to opening malicious and corrupted emails.

1. Employees might click phishing emails because they get distracted
2. Employees might click phishing emails if they get stressed with work mistakes
3. Hackers might use spoofing tactics to disguise themselves as people the employee might recognize and trust
4. Hackers might send convincing emails with malicious URL links
5. Hackers might use impersonation tactics which include brands like ADP, Amazon, Adobe Sign, Microsoft, and Zoom
6. Hackers attacking an industry might send as many as 31 malicious emails a year
7. Hackers attacking an industry would deliver their attacks sometime 2 PM and 6 PM, in hopes it would slip past tired employees
8. Hackers attacking an industry often target days before or after holidays, where no people would be left to monitor the system.

4 Ways to Avoid Phishing Scams and Email Attacks

Phishing attacks get even more sophisticated as the years pass by. It would be best for both employees and their company to add extra layers of protection to their systems. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gave four instructions:

1. Protect your computer by using security software. Choose a security software that updates automatically against the latest hacking strategies, so it can deal with any level of security threat.
2. Protect your mobile phone. Hackers could also exploit connections between mobile to computer devices, so it is advisable to keep your smartphone clean. Here are some of the best antivirus apps available in the market.
3. Protect your account with multi-factor authentication. This option would usually fall into two categories, a passcode via authentication app or biological scan through fingerprint, retina, or face. The more complicated the authentication gets, the better security it delivers
4. Protect your data by backing it up. Despite the best efforts to avoid phishing attacks, staying prepared for the worst would always be best. Make a habit of backing up your data to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Do the same for your smartphone data.