IT Support & SecurityWritten By: admin

Phishing attacks are one of the most common security issues that both people and businesses face, when it comes to keeping their data safe. Hackers generally use email, social media, phone calls, and other means of contact to capture confidential data like passwords, credit cards, or other personal information. Phishing threats become more complicated by the fact that they can be spread by compromising the email address books of infected machines. As a result, the email may seem to have come from a well-known and reliable source. Of course, businesses are important goals for the hackers. Now the main question arises that how can businesses, particularly small and medium scale businesses avoid phishing attacks to ensure data security and privacy in cloud computing.
In this blog, we will discuss 5 effective ways to identify and prevent phishing attacks.

1.    Do not open unknown emails and click on suspicious links :

The most common method used by hackers is sending tempting emails with links to click on. Once an employee opens the email and clicks on the link, first the system of that particular employee and then the server of the company becomes vulnerable. The hacker is then able to easily access all the data stored in the system and in the company server. It has been observed by IT security companies in India that hackers go to the extent of observing the behaviour, likes and dislikes of employees, before sending them a phishing email. A spear-phishing attack is a type of phishing attack in which a hacker conducts research on an intended target and includes information in an email that makes the email seem more believable. For example, say Mr X works for a certain company whose data a particular hacker wants to access. The hacker observes the behaviour of Mr X, stalks him on social media and finds out that he has particular weakness for cute kittens. Using this information, the hacker sends a phishing email to Mr X, with a link for downloading cute kitten wall papers. Once Mr X opens the email and clicks on the link, the whole company server gets compromised. 
 

2.    “CLOSE” that Pop-Up!

When it comes to serving malware, the best bait used by the hackers are those irritating pop-ups. There are ad-blockers available, which are completely free to download and use, which can be utilised to block those pop-ups. However, there are instances where pop-ups have bypassed the security of the ad-blockers. In such case, please refrain from clicking on the pop-up as it is nothing but a bait for malware. Generally, hackers design the headline of the pop-up in a very juicy and click bait fashion, talking about the subjects and issues which are in vogue. For example the dress of a particular actor or the before-after photos of actresses who have gone under the knife! Such gossipy and scandalous topics are generally the sign that the pop-up has virus or malware. 
However, it is very easy to protect oneself from such attacks. Just refrain yourself from opening the link and close the pop-up. Finding the “X” sign or the “CLOSE” button is also difficult because the hackers make sure to make the button as small as possible, to make it very difficult to find. But, the right hand top corner of any pop-up has the “CLOSE” button and it is the wisest decision for business’ sake to close the window as soon as it pops up.
 

3.    Regular updates are important :

It's easy to get frustrated when you get a lot of notification updates, and it's tempting to ignore them. It is true that updates, which are done particularly for cyber-security reasons, sometimes take a lot of time and use up chunks of memory space. However, updates should not be avoided however cumbersome those may be. In fact to keep the firewall running and equipped to deal with the latest viruses and to ensure data security and privacy in cloud computing, updates are a must. Patches and fixes are introduced for a reason, the most popular of which is to keep up with new cyber-attack tactics by plugging security holes. If employees do not upgrade their browser, the company might become vulnerable to phishing attacks.
 

4.    Install Firewall :

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, one of the most important and useful tool to keep malware and phishing attacks at bay is by installing a firewall. Serving as a barrier between an employee system and a malware phishing attack, firewalls act as an efficient way to avoid unwanted attacks. When used together, desktop and network firewalls will improve the security and reduce the likelihood of a hacker infiltrating the company network.
 

5.    Appoint IT security companies in India to take care of cyber security :

An essential move for companies to take is preventing potential offenders from entering the company registry, which contains names, email addresses, and other personal employee records. It is advisable that mobile protection applications be installed on consumer devices that checks apps and blocks users from accessing corporate networks if they have privacy-invading data.
If the company becomes unfortunate target of a successful phishing attack, identifying and responding quickly to the attack is of paramount importance. By immediately alerting on anomalous user behaviour and unintended file updates, an IT security company relieves some of the burden from the in-house IT/Security team. If an attacker has access to your private data, the IT security company will assist you in identifying the account that has been compromised so that you can take steps to avoid further damage. Schedule a demo with one of our developers today to see how Vareli Tecnac Private Limited can help you detect and avoid data breaches.

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See Also - Cyber Security Tips to Protect Your Organization