Phishing scams have become more common over recent years. According to experts, cyber-attacks have doubled since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Phishing scams are regularly used to steal personal data and money from unsuspecting victims. According to the University of Florida, the average phishing scam costs its victims $173, although the losses can of course be much higher.

Phishing scams aim to gather your information under false pretenses, and once these cyber criminals have access to your sensitive data, they can wreak havoc. Everything from stealing substantial sums of money to totally taking over your identity is possible.

This is why being prepared is essential, which is why we’re about to engage in some phishing training. No, we aren’t going to teach you how to land that big bass, but we are going to provide you with the most essential phishing training tips to level up your security. Let’s protect you, your family, and your business from these cyber criminals!

Phishing Training Tips for Enhanced Security

The issue with phishing scams is that they are very tricky to spot, which is exactly what makes them so dangerous. Scammers are adept at creating emails and communications that resemble legitimate senders and organizations. Therefore, your first line of defense against phishing scams is being able to recognize them in the first place.

How to Recognize a Phishing Scam

The first step in phishing training has to be learning to recognize these scams. There are a few telltale signs you need to be aware of.

Spelling Errors

If you encounter an email that has spelling and grammar errors, and it’s not from your third-grade nephew, then you have cause to be suspicious. Yes, people make mistakes, but a trustworthy organization will very rarely make such errors in their communications. This is something to be especially wary of if the sender is asking for some kind of information or action to be taken.

Impersonal Greetings

Mass phishing scams often use impersonal or generic greetings. Something like “Dear Customer” is one of the most common lines you’ll see at the beginning of any phishing scam. Legitimate companies and senders usually personalize their greetings.

Unknown or Unusual Addresses

If you don’t know who the sender is, or even worse, if it’s a very unusual address, you should also be suspicious. The best email phishing scams resemble real companies, but often have slight misspellings in the email address. A common tactic is replacing a letter with a number that closely resembles it in the hopes that the victim will not notice. An important aspect of phishing training is therefore to verify that all email addresses are legitimate.

Suspicious Language

Any kind of suspicious language is a dead giveaway too, especially if there is some kind of threat or urgency involved. If someone is telling you that “immediate action is required”, you can rest assured that it is most likely a phishing scam. They are often designed to scare their victims into acting before they can get a chance to think.

Unverified Links or Attachments

Phishing emails often come with links that lead to websites that steal your information. They may also come with attachments, ones that when you open them up deploy malware onto your device. Perhaps the most important aspect of training to recognize a phishing scam is knowing which links and attachments are safe and which ones are not.

Train Employees (and Yourself) on a Regular Basis

To prevent yourself, your employees, and your business from becoming a victim of a phishing scam, there are several precautions that you should take.

These are aspects that everyone connected to your network and company should be trained in.

One of the best ways to do this is to engage in regular phishing training workshops. This way, you can regularly update employees on the newest techniques and practices to enhance security.

Always Verify Identities

Always verify the sender’s identity before you take action. For example, if you get an email from your internet service provider asking you to update your credit card information (or are asking for other sensitive information), you first need to verify that it is in fact the internet provider, not a scammer. When being asked for sensitive info, confirm the identity through separate means, such as by phone.

Look for HTTPS

If you’re entering information into a site, make sure that you see the padlock icon in front of the URL, and that it starts with https://. This means that the site in question is using encryption protocols to keep your data safe. Make sure your employees are aware of this.

Be Weary of Public or Unsecured Networks

When you’re out in public, never use unsecured WIFI networks to perform any sensitive tasks. You never know who has hacked into public networks. Unsecured networks can allow scammers to gain access to your device, at which point they may attempt to gain valuable information from you.

Report Suspicious Activity Immediately

One of the most important training tips for dealing with phishing scams is to make sure that any suspicious activity is reported right away. Make sure that you and your employees don’t simply ignore suspicious activity and phishing attempts. Suspicious activity should be reported to all necessary parties, whether email service providers or the authorities.

Create a Comprehensive Phishing Incident Response Protocol

A big part of phishing training is knowing what to do once an event has occurred. Unfortunately, all of the preventative measures in the world can’t stop 100% of phishing scams. Therefore, knowing how to handle the situation once it arises is essential.

You must create a comprehensive incident response plan with clearly labeled steps. This may include reporting the incident, steps to rid your devices of malware, blocking suspicious senders, and contacting the authorities, among other steps.

Conduct Regular Security Audits and Stay Informed

To get the most out of training to handle phishing scams, staying informed is important. First, you need to update your security procedures on a regular basis to meet new threats. If you see any gaps in your security, those are vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

When communicating with employees, make sure they know to report any vulnerabilities they may find.

To make the most out of this, you also need to be up to date in terms of the newest phishing techniques. Making sure that you stay up to date with the latest developments in cyber crime will help you adequately prepare for any situation that may arise.

Use Technology to Fight Against Phishing Scams

One of the best ways to fight against phishing scams is by using the right kind of technology. You should train to use a wide variety of security systems and techniques to keep your information safe.

MFA

An easy way to prevent sensitive systems from being accessed by scammers is to use MFA or multi-factor authentication. This might include a separate code being sent to your personal device, a physical security token, or even biometrics. If necessary, train your employees on using MFA for enhanced security.

Email Authentication

There are many different types of email authentication procedures that can protect you against scammers. DKIM, DMARC, and SPF are three common protocols for email authentication. Train your employees on how to properly implement these security measures. They all help to ensure that the emails coming into the system are legitimate.

Using Anti-Phishing and Anti-Malware Systems

Often the most basic methods of protecting yourself are some of the best, and here we’re talking about anti-phishing software. These are special pieces of software that can identify phishing emails before they ever get to your inbox. As a backup, you’ll also want to upgrade your malware security. This will ensure that any malware that manages to get through is quickly neutralized.

Final Thoughts on Leveling Up Your Security Against Phishing Scams

What it comes down to here is vigilance. By doing some basic phishing training, you can prepare yourself and your business for the inevitable. The fact is that you’ll likely encounter a phishing scam sooner rather than later, and it pays to be prepared. Train your employees to recognize phishing scams, how to avoid them, and what to do in the event that one manages to get through.