How to Avoid Phishing Scams

/in /by

There are many IT services and softwares that you can utilize to help improve your company’s cybersecurity. However, no matter how many precautions you take, human error can undo everything and allow malicious forces into your company’s system. If you want to protect your Irvine business and stay safe online, use these tips to help you avoid phishing emails and other scams.

Think Before You Click

Phishing emails have become very sophisticated and are designed to fool even the most tech-savvy among us. They almost perfectly replicate emails from trusted names, using a fake but similar email address to deceive you. Although these emails may look like they came from a person or brand that you trust, you should always double-check the sender’s email address if you’re not sure. Phishing emails often most obviously fail in replicating the tone of the sender. If you think the content or tone of the message is different than what you’d expect to receive, contact that person directly and verify that they’ve emailed you. If it’s a brand, make sure that the email address matches their corporate website. Always do your due diligence and take a second to analyze the email before clicking any links in order to avoid potential cybersecurity dangers.

Verify the Site’s Security

Entering sensitive financial information online can always make you feel a bit wary, and with good reason. Especially around the holidays, attackers target and replicate e-commerce sites with the goal of collecting and using your credit card information. If you want to make sure that your purchases are safe, always check that the website’s URL begins with “https” rather than just “http”. There should be a closed padlock icon to the left of the web address to indicate that you are on a secured website. If you are on an unsecured site, never download any files or enter any personal information. Even if you were directed from a search engine, you may end up on a phishing webpage controlled by cybercriminals.

Install Anti-Phishing & Antivirus Tools

When it comes to avoiding scams, you don’t need to look out for them all on your own. Software and extensions such as anti-phishing browser toolbars are there to help you filter out unsafe sites and keep you a bit more secure online. Virtually all Internet browsers can be outfitted with simple anti-phishing toolbars which will run quick checks on the sites you visit and compare them to a database of known phishing sites. If you come across an unsecured or potentially dangerous site, the toolbar or extension will alert you. Utilizing antivirus software will protect you in a variety of ways, including by guarding you against phishing scams. It will scan all of your downloads and block any potentially harmful material that comes through the Internet to your computer.

There is no single fool-proof way to avoid phishing scams, but staying diligent and following these steps will help you identify and avoid as many phishing attacks as possible. C3 Tech Solutions offers cybersecurity training for Irvine employees so you can make sure that everyone at your company is up-to-date on all of the latest cybersecurity and safe internet browsing measures. Keeping your employees well-informed will not only benefit them, but it will keep your company’s information safe as well. To find out more about our services and get started with a custom package, give us a call today at (714) 689-1700.