THE GOLDEN RULE… Never click a suspicious link!
7 signs that give away phishing
- Shady sender (correct name, but slightly different domain).
- Masked link (hover over it: the URL doesn't match the announced website).
- Artificial urgency (“act within 10 minutes or your account will be closed”).
- Unexpected attachment (ZIP or PDF asking for a password or MFA code).
- Grammar mistakes or an odd tone.
- Unplanned request for credentials or payment.
- MFA fatigue (multiple validation requests you never initiated).
Preventing online fraud takes a proactive approach and a combination of security measures. Here are some tips to strengthen your protection:
- Awareness and training: educate your employees about online fraud risks such as phishing, email scams and malware attacks. Make sure they know the warning signs and good security practices.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA): set up two-factor authentication to strengthen account security. It usually pairs a password with another element, like a code generated by a mobile app.
- Regular updates: make sure all software, operating systems and applications are updated regularly. Updates often include essential security patches that prevent vulnerabilities.
- Data encryption: use encryption to protect sensitive data, especially in transit. Even if data is intercepted, it stays unreadable to fraudsters.
- Activity monitoring: put online activity monitoring tools in place to quickly detect suspicious behaviour or unusual transactions. Early alerts allow fast intervention.
- Email filtering and anti-phishing: use email filters to block suspicious messages and set up phishing detection mechanisms. Encourage employees to report any suspicious email.
- Access controls: limit access to sensitive information with proper access controls. Only the people who need it should have access to critical data.
- Secure financial transactions: for online transactions, use secure protocols such as HTTPS, and make sure your payment providers follow security standards.
A few simple habits, consistently applied, prevent most attacks. And if your website needs a security check-up, we can help.