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Clicking Fake Links, The Horror Behind It!
/in Blog /by Chris HigginsWhat Are the Dangers for Business Owners Clicking on Fake links?
An increasing number of businesses are targeted daily to trick them into clicking fake email links. Hacking methods are getting more and more creative. As such, recognizing which email links are legitimate and which are not can be incredibly difficult – and as such, you should always be alert when using communications software to make sure you don’t fall into these traps. Fake links come with numerous associated dangers. That’s why, today, we’ll be looking at a few of the implications that falling for these traps can have.Loss of Personal Data
You must protect your data at all costs. Personal data includes information such as your name, address, date of birth, and banking info. Hackers use this personal data to target you. Your stolen information can create fake identification and credit cards. This data is also commonly sold on the dark web to bidders who collect personal data of this type. Consequences associated with the loss of personal data are irritating and a nuisance. However, if hackers use your data for false identification, the consequences for you could be severe. After a breach, you may find yourself in thousands of dollars of debt. Or, quite possibly, your bank account drained. As such, fake links prevention is imperative for protecting yourself from personal data losses.Financial Data Losses
Financial losses are the most common, as this is the primary goal of the hackers. One of the most common forms of fake email links is the increase in home deliveries resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. This trick is a relatively simple scam. Hackers will send texts to thousands of random phone numbers. These texts inform the reader that their delivery failed, and a small redelivery fee is needed to reschedule. This form of fraud is usually opportunistic and low-value. However, some hackers will gather financial data and hack bank accounts or take out loans. This scam, in turn, gives criminals full access to your money. It’s easy to see where the risk lies. Another potential threat from clicking on fake links is that the website could download malware onto your device. Malware can gather data about your personal and financial information. Once again, hackers use the breached data to access your financial records. As we’ve seen, this can lead to substantial losses. Whether the information is volunteered readily or taken by force, these are risky situations to correct. As such, awareness of the best fake link prevention strategies is everyone’s goal.How to Avoid Fake Links
Fake links are, unfortunately, all too common. Hackers are using these tactics more regularly, and they are also becoming more creative in their attempts. For the average employee, fake link prevention is increasingly difficult. Recognizing these dangerous email links is a genuine challenge for many people. Being aware of avoiding dangerous email links and protecting your precious personal and financial data is more crucial than ever. There is a lot of pressure on employees these days. Luckily, our team is on hand to give you a few tips to help you avoid falling prey to malicious hackers. First of all, before clicking any links in messages, emails, or on social media, make sure to check the URL to ensure it looks legitimate. Hackers use this common tactic to convince people to click on a fraudulent link. Often, this will be something as simple as changing the domain from .com to .xyz or .club, or something along these lines. Many people won’t recognize this subtle change, so it’s always worth checking before clicking unknown links. Next, check the link’s source. If you have any doubts about the sender’s legitimacy, navigate to the supposed firm and send a request to their official customer support team. They should be happy to answer whether the email address is a legitimate one. As a final protection, make sure you have the best defence in place for your device! Having anti-virus software and an updated firewall is crucial protection. Don’t leave this to chance. If you have any questions and need help please contact us. We are happy to help!Spot Fake Links In Your Emails
/in Blog /by Chris HigginsHow to Spot Fake Links: Brief Staff Security Training Guidance
If you have been considering covering bogus links with your staff security training, you’ll want to consider the following how to spot fake link prevention tips. These security training tips will help to give your staff the tools they need to stay safe and protected against the dangers posed by malicious links.Staff Security Training Tip #1: Check URLs Before Following Them
One important tip for your staff as part of their security training is to check all URLs. A URL is the web address that you follow when you click a link. A common trick used by hackers to make the URL seem authentic is to use a similar URL mimicking a legitimate website. For example, one switch would be disguising bogus links by changing the website name from ‘example-site.com’ to example_site.com.’ This tiny change often goes unnoticed but could lead to your staff getting caught by a fake link.Here are more examples:
If you regularly deal with Amazon, you’ll notice that their URLs look like these: orders@amazon.com, service@amazon.com, or membership@amazon.com But bogus URLs will look like these: hurry@amazon-$75.com, buddy79@my_amazon.com, or service@amazon-helpmenow.com Often, the URL won’t contain the name of the sender at all. You may see URLs like these: clickhere@davisneedsshoes.org, holographic_iris@$9di4!wow.net Question any link that seems out of place. If your staff doesn’t check these carefully, it can be easy to fall into a trap. As part of this staff security tip, make sure they’re aware to check both the name of the link and check where the hyperlink goes. Hackers can easily disguise malicious links as legitimate links by using a website name as the anchor text. But, instead of taking you to the legitimate website, the link redirects you to a fake site. Luckily, checking the destination of a hyperlink is easy, especially on computers; simply right click and you’ll get an option to see or edit the hyperlink.Staff Security Training Tip #2: Don’t Open Unknown Emails
A second crucial tip is to ensure that your staff does not open unknown emails. For many people, this is not easy to do. After all, how can you tell whether a sender is legitimate or not? It’s easy to understand why this is so difficult. Some people struggle to decide whether the contact details for a firm are legitimate addresses or not. Luckily, we have a few tips for this. Firstly, for text messages and telephone contacts, look up the telephone number from the source. A quick search will often give you the information you need to know. Most companies will have these numbers listed on their website’s contact details. Alternatively, if the phone number is not legitimate, many sites now exist to display shady phone numbers; as such, searching the phone number alone may be enough information to help you decide if the text was legitimate. As part of checking a sender’s identity, you can also search for a specific email address to see if any information comes up. Most companies will have their contact email addresses displayed on their website. Check If the email address in question is on the website so you can confirm that the links are legitimate. If the exact email address does not appear on the website, you should question its authenticity. If you struggle to find the correct information directly from a search, don’t be afraid to contact the company in question. Most companies are more than happy to help if it means preventing a scam from occurring in their name. Checking the legitimacy of the phone number or email address is one of the best ways to check whether a link is legitimate or fake. Ensure that your staff knows to do this for any communication containing a link.Staff Security Training Tip #3: Get the Best IT Support and Antivirus Software
As a third and final tip for your security training, we cannot stress the importance of good anti-malware and antivirus solutions highly enough. Having these in place and installed on all of your devices can provide a good security backup. This practice is vital in case someone accidentally follows an illegitimate link that tries to download harmful software. Antivirus software is highly affordable nowadays and doesn’t take long to set up in your office. If you have any questions about this, contact us today. We will help you find the best antivirus software for your needs, as well as offer training to your staff.Is Your Company Already on a Hacker’s Watchlist?
/in Blog /by Chris HigginsAs a business owner, you are already aware that your company might be vulnerable to attacks by hackers. Your concern is justified because 65% of cyber-attacks are aimed at small businesses. There is a good chance a hacker is using sophisticated software to try and hack your network right now.
Even if hackers haven’t found a way into your system yet, you can be sure that they are trying to find a way to:
Did you know that it takes an average of six months for businesses to realize that they have been, or are being, hacked?
After the hack is discovered, it can weeks 6 – 8 weeks disable and remove all the threads of the attack. The attack is removed, but the damage has been done. How long does it take to restore a damaged reputation, or to be trusted again by a vendor or customer who was affected by your hack?
So, why do hackers target small businesses? Some of the reasons are obvious, and some may surprise you.
Here are 4 reasons why small businesses get hacked:
Under the Radar
Not every hacker wants to be famous. Most don’t care about getting their conquests splashed all over the news.
Hackers attack small businesses because these companies are less likely to report security breaches and more likely to pay the ransom.
Reporting a breach is damaging to the company’s reputation. A company might prefer to deal with the damage or pay the ransom rather than go public. In fact, in one study, 53% of companies paid the ransom immediately. In addition, what many companies find out is that, even if they report the breach to the police, law enforcement agencies are not cybersecurity experts and can’t be of much help.
Complacency
Every business has to prioritize spending. Initiatives that grow the company’s revenue and profitability are the priority. IT upgrades and advanced cybersecurity services and tools aren’t an immediate need so they don’t make the top of the list.
Unfortunately, the reality is that your old security software is not “good enough” to stand up to today’s sophisticated cyber-attacks. “Good enough” makes you an easy target.
Employees inviting viruses and hackers
This one is shocking. Research from Stanford University found that 88% of ALL data breaches are caused by employees. Here are a few of the most common ways employees invite trouble:
Small companies don’t have the advanced skills required and training happens rarely, if ever.
You’ve been hacked before
Hackers are like sharks: they can smell blood in the water from miles away. Once the word gets out that you’ve been hacked, and that you’ve paid the ransom, you’ll have hackers lined up around the block. Like a lot of criminals, hackers are looking for the path of least resistance. Once they hear you’re an easy target you’d better prepare yourself for all kinds of cyberattacks.
Take Action
It takes work to be ready in today’s cyber landscape. The steps include:
Almost every day there are news stories about companies getting hacked, big companies paying millions in ransom. Companies like Apple, Amazon, Target, and Facebook can afford the best security available, yet they still get hacked.
What you don’t hear about is the small businesses shutting down because they’ve been crippled by a cyber-security breach. A shocking 60% of small businesses that are crippled by a cyberattack will not recover.
Make cybersecurity a priority for your business and you’ll increase your chances of staying off a hacker’s watchlist.
Information technology is a tool. If we can help you navigate your way to a more productive, efficient and safe operations, accounting and/or IT system, then you can focus on growing your business.
If you’re serious about protecting your company from being crippled by a cyberattack, check out our website or contact us. Ask for Tim Adornetto to get your no-cost, no-obligation system analysis.