What are the risks of clicking on links in phishing emails?

Phishing emails are an internet scam that sends emails from seemingly legitimate sources to target people by tricking them into allowing access to their personal information. By understanding the risks of clicking on links in phishing emails, you can be more mindful of watching out for these scams.

Immediate dangers of clicking on phishing links

Phishing links can direct you to fake, malicious websites that pretend to look like your online banking website or some other trusted source to get your login information. They may also trigger downloads of keyloggers, which log all your keystrokes, or remote access tools that allow hackers to control your computer.

Impact on personal and business security

Clicking links in phishing emails can lead to compromised login information, which can cause financial losses or damage to your reputation. Sometimes, hackers will even try to ransom your data access and ask you to pay them to release it back to you.

Identifying phishing emails

Phishing emails often contain red flags that should warn you from trusting them and clicking on any links. Potential signs of a phishing email are:

• A sense of urgency demanding or encouraging you to take action now.
• An unusual tone or greeting, especially from a source you’ve had email interactions with before.
• Errors in grammar and spelling.
• Inconsistent email addresses and links – you can preview links in phishing emails by hovering over the link to see where it’s trying to send you.
• Suspicious attachments – common malware extensions (.zip, .exe, and .scr).

Cyber security training is one way to empower individuals in your organization to combat phishing email scams. We can provide cyber security training for everyone in your organization and help you set up the best software and processes to protect you. Contact TeamLogic IT today.