With the increasing number of cyberattacks being carried out on several different organizations ranging from government entities to manufacturing companies at an all-time high, most, if not all organizations find themselves searching for cybersecurity solutions catered to their industry. One of the forms of such attacks that threaten the security and integrity of your data is phishing. 

WHAT IS PHISHING? 

Phishing can be defined as an attempt to steal personal or sensitive information through malicious email, website, or any such channel by posing as a trustworthy organization, brand, or company. Many phishers use fake websites contained within legitimate looking emails to obtain sensitive information or data, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details. These seemingly legitimate looking websites tend to disguise themselves as banking portals, online payment sites, or social media sites in order to lure people to their fake websites, which feel and look strikingly normal and official. This very convincing approach is what makes phishing so effective and falling into the trap so easy for even the most suspecting.   

According to survey data 38% of respondents said their coworker were victim to a phishing attack within the last year.  53% of people surveyed said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of phishing activity has been observed.  

Such exploitation of weak web security is driving people towards looking into cybersecurity solutions using which they can protect the integrity of their data and personal information.  

Therefore, you should always remain wary of any such attacks. The following is a list of the most common types of phishing attacks and below each heading we provide guidance on how you can identify and defend yourself against each type. 

TYPES OF PHISHING AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST THEM 

Deceptive Phishing 

This type of phishing consists of attackers posing as an actual website or brand and asking for personal details and credentials by taking you to their fake URL which is a carbon copy of the original.  

Such can be avoided by detecting any unprofessional language or grammar mistakes in the email or anything suspicious in the URL of the site you are taken to. 

Spear Phishing 

Over 91% of the phishing attacks carried out on the internet are spear attacks and are often quite successful. By collecting personal information on the victim including their name, location, position at the company, address, phone number etc., it creates a sense of trust, which increases the chances the victim will be convinced into clicking the malicious URL.

There now exist many services that can offer you solutions for this problem in the form of phishing analyzers that scan out suspicious mail. Employee training is also an effective way organizations can defend themselves from this effective method of bypassing your security controls.

Search Engine Phishing 

With the popularity of ecommerce and online shopping on the rise, it is understandable that attackers are also modifying their approach to avail their chances. Phishers would set up online shopping and service sites, utilizing effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, which one in-turn land them on a search engine index. As a result, many more people are tricked into giving these sites their sensitive information such as banking information or credit card details.   

In order to avoid falling for this tactic, look out for suspiciously cheap offers and avoid signing up on unfamiliar websites or registering for free offers.  

HOW AN EFFECTIVE E-MAIL GATEWAY CAN HELP YOU

Email gateways can help you achieve the kind of impenetrable security that will protect you from all kinds of phishing attempts and make your accounts fully secure. You can ensure that your email accounts are as safe as they should be and that your information and conversations remain at low risk.  

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