Improving phishing awareness in employees 

Phishing continues to be one of the most common cyberattacks for hackers. Whether it’s an attempt to get at your personal or company information, hackers put their hope in the lack of attention to phishing emails or awareness of a phishing attack. That’s why it’s so crucial that your employees remain aware of phishing attack tactics.

Understand common phishing tactics and red flags

Common phishing tactics

• Differences between links and URLs – the links and URLs don’t match the subject matter or domain of the sender
• Sensitive information requests – asking for passwords, credit card details, social security numbers
• Suspicious links and attachments – links that lead to fake websites or unrequested attachments
• Threatening language – designed to get you to act without thinking too much about your decision

Red flags

• Generic greetings – “Dear Account User,” etc.
• Urgent language – that might be requesting account information updates, or appear as a payment issue
• Poor grammar and spelling – especially if it’s of a much lower quality than the usual emails you receive from the source it’s pretending to be
• Unusual or suspicious design – may appear unprofessional or different than what you usually might receive from a trusted sender

Implement regular phishing awareness training programs

Phishing awareness training should be implemented during onboarding and ongoing throughout the year. Here are some things to consider when setting up your phishing awareness program.

Create engaging and relevant content

• Interactive modules
• Real-world case studies
• Gamification
• Personalize training for each department

Establish reporting procedures

• Easy-to-access reporting channels
• Training on reporting
• Use reports to share in ongoing training

Use simulated phishing tests to reinforce learning

• Conduct baseline testing to determine current vulnerability
• Use realistic scenarios that might relate to the kind of phishing attacks your employees could receive
• Regular testing to reinforce training and ongoing learning

Do you need to improve employee awareness of phishing attacks at your organization? We can provide the training, testing procedures, and installation of the right cybersecurity software to empower your employees to fight phishing attacks. Contact TeamLogic IT today.