We know you’ve heard of phishing by now, and this threat is getting bigger and bigger as time passes. With this growth, phishing attacks are becoming harder than ever to identify. Sometimes, it can be really hard for businesses to tell the difference between phishing scams and actual emails. Today, we’re going to look at how to identify phishing emails.
Let’s take a look at an example that might help. If you receive an email that claims you’ve won a giant prize, but you don’t remember ever signing up for a giveaway, this should be a red flag. Another red flag may be the grammar or improper English used in the email, along with unprofessional messaging. The biggest red flag is that the email is urging you to work quickly and to click an attachment or link. Claiming your prize is time-sensitive is a ploy to make you think irrationally.Â
All of the red flags above are common phishing tactics. They might pretend they are fake invoices, or that they are even from someone within your company. These types of emails are very troublesome.
- Phishing emails will have these characteristics:
- An offer or prize that is too good to be true
- Grammar and spelling errors and improper English
- A sense of urgency to get you to act quicklyÂ
- A link or attachment that they are urging you to click on, that often is infected with malware or gives hackers access to your network
- A strange email address that doesn’t line up with the sender’s story
While these are only a few warning signs, they are huge red flags you should be on the lookout for. Even if the email in question doesn’t have these red flags, you should always be cautious about all of the emails you receive. Answer them all with caution and care. Never click on a link or open an attachment until you are absolutely sure it is safe to do so.
MyTek can help you learn how to identify phishing emails and all other technical issues you could possibly deal with. Give us a call today to learn more at 623-312-2444.