Over the past few years, ransomware and phishing have become more rampant as more people resort to remote work due to the ongoing pandemic. The reason for this is simple: home networks do not have security solutions that match up to corporate security solutions. IN other words, home networks are just more vulnerable to attacks, and more often than not, many individuals working remotely aren’t too aware of these dangers online or how to spot them.
That being said, phishing and ransomware are something you never want to deal with, and when running a business, you would want to avoid these attacks as much as possible. As such, we want to share with you today what phishing and ransomware is and how you can protect your business from such dangers:
What Is Phishing?
Phishing is an act of trying to obtain personal and confidential information from an individual by posing as a legitimate company or an individual. In many cases, phishing emails are sent in bulk, targeting hundreds or even thousands of companies.
Phishing emails often contain a link that takes the user to a seemingly legitimate login page. However, this is not the true destination, and once the user enters their credentials on the website, their details are sent to the attacker. Some phishing emails include attachments that contain malicious attachments or links.
What Is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a form of malicious software (or malware) that blocks access to your device, network, or files until a certain sum of money is paid. Ransomware is often distributed through infected emails as well as infected websites.
Ransomware attacks are commonly carried out through these advanced delivery techniques to circumvent security solutions in place and make it harder for customers to spot the attack. Once it reaches a device, it then encrypts various things, demanding ransom in the form of money with the promise that the encrypted items will be decrypted. Of course, this is but a lie.
How Do I Protect My Business from Phishing and Ransomware?
Phishing and ransomware are two of the most common cyber-attacks that we’re currently seeing out there, with phishing being more prevalent than ransomware. With that being said, we want to share simple tips on how to prevent these attacks from taking place and how to protect your business from phishing and ransomware:
Educate your employees: The most important thing is to provide them with the knowledge to prevent phishing and ransomware attacks from taking place. We strongly recommend this because when employees are aware of these attacks, they will be less likely to fall for them.
Scan all received emails: Many companies find it difficult to maintain an effective spam filter, so a lot of them have resorted to manually checking all incoming emails. Given the time restraints of this process, it is important to automate the process with a reliable spam filter.
Use a secure network: Ransomware often spreads via infected websites and emails. As such, it is vital to ensure that the software and website you are using are safe from such attacks. For example, it is vital to ensure your security solution is up-to-date at all times.
Keep in mind that there are many other ways to protect your business from attacks, but the above tips are some of the most effective ways to do so.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, phishing and ransomware are two of the most common cyber-attacks we see out there. These attacks often cause a lot of damage to companies, especially since many companies and individuals are not even aware of how to spot these attacks.
If you want to protect your business from phishing and ransomware attacks, we recommend that you educate your staff on how to spot these attacks, use a secure network, and scan all incoming emails. In addition, reach out to cyber security experts, as they can help you implement security solutions to keep your company as safe as possible in this digital world of ours.
Febyte develops various solutions for businesses including websites, CRM, and more. If you are looking for custom IT solutions to protect your business, reach out to us today!