Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 7 Ways To Fight Phishing

The pandemic has contributed to a rise in phishing attacks – scams through which the attacker gains access to your system by fraudulently obtaining your log-in credentials, stealing your identity, or getting you to send money to criminals. Innocently responding to an email, clicking on a link, or downloading an image file hiding malware can lead to leaked confidential information, infected networks, financial demands, corrupted data, or worse. 

According to Microsoft’s Global Tech Support Fraud Scam Research 2021, millennials in India (aged 24-37) were the most susceptible to such scams in 2021, with 58 per cent of those that continued with the scam incurring monetary loss. In an increasingly digital world, being cyber aware is an essential step towards staying safe online. Here is how to avoid becoming a phishing victim: 

1. Inspect sender’s e-mail address

While it's not unusual to receive an email from someone outside your organization for the first time, this can be a sign of phishing. Inspect the sender’s email address closely. Look for small changes signaling a fake identity 

2. Double check urgent call-to-action mails
   Be wary of emails that utilize a generic greeting, asking you to act urgently.
   Often, they'll claim you must act now to claim a reward or avoid a penalty. Creating a false sense of urgency is a common trick of phishing attacks and scams.

3. Verify sender information

Look for verifiable sender contact information. If in doubt, do not reply. Start a new email to respond

4. Safeguard private information

Use the phone to convey private information. Never send sensitive information via email

5. Don’t click suspicious links

Avoid clicking on unexpected links. Go to the official website and log in instead

6. Be wary of attachments

Avoid opening email attachments from unknown senders or even friends who do not normally send you attachments

7. Use phishing and spam filters

Install a phishing filter for your email. Use the spam filter available on email accounts like Microsoft Outlook. With the suspicious message selected, choose Report message from the ribbon, and then select “Phishing”. This is the fastest way to report a cybercriminal and remove the message from your inbox.