6 Must-Know Tips To Handle A Phishing Email
How many emails have you received today? The average worker receives around 120 emails on a daily basis. It’s only natural that some of them may come from unknown senders, and may even be phishing attempts. But what are phishing emails, and why should you try to protect yourself from them?
Phishing emails pose a significant danger to the security of your personal information. Cybercriminals craft these messages to appear as if they come from a legitimate source, trying to trick you into clicking on a link so that they can steal your data or install malware on your computer.
Despite the potential dangers, it is not that difficult to avoid these attempts and keep your personal and professional information safe. In this article, we discuss some telltale signs that should make you suspicious about the nature of an email, as well as 6 steps to take after you receive a phishing email to ensure you won’t be affected by it.
What Makes An Email Suspicious?
Recognizing that an email is a scam or phishing attempt is not always as easy as taking a quick look. However, if you learn to look out for the most common signs of a cyberattack, it will be much easier to identify a suspicious email. Let’s explore what those are.
- Unknown sender: It is important to carefully read through all emails, whether they come from someone you know or an unknown source. Cybercriminals often pose as trusted figures or organizations.
- Generic greeting: An impersonal greeting, like “Dear customer,” signals an email that is mass-targeted and may have malicious purposes. Still, phishing emails can also use your first name since it is often easy to obtain.
- Urgency or threats: Messages that create a sense of urgency must alert you immediately. These emails will often try to convince you to quickly click a link to avoid missing an offer, prevent your account from being disabled, or protect your card from being compromised.
- Suspicious links: Hovering over a link will reveal whether it is consistent with what the email is claiming.
- Grammar and spelling mistakes: Since many phishing messages result from machine translations, grammar and spelling mistakes are quite common. Such errors should make you suspicious, as a reputable organization would not make them.
- Unusual requests: If you receive an email claiming to be from your bank asking you to share credentials or banking details, it is almost certainly a phishing attempt.
6 Steps To Minimize The Effects Of A Phishing Email
It is quite difficult to stop phishing emails from landing in your inbox. However, what you do after you receive them is your responsibility, and it can save you from some particularly unpleasant consequences.
1. Don’t Click Any Links
It is natural for a phishing email to cause concern. But it’s important to remember that the threats and urgent requests in these messages are not real, and no harm can come from simply viewing an email. It is essential that you don’t interact with the email in any way. Don’t click any links, download any files, or follow any instructions provided to prevent infecting your computer with malware. Replying is also out of the question, as it could result in your email address being targeted for more attacks in the future, a practice known as spear phishing.
2. Report The Email As Spam
You can’t leave a phishing email in your inbox, as this increases the chances of accidental interaction. Once you are certain that it is a phishing attempt, you must immediately report it as spam through your email service. Nowadays, most email providers allow you to specifically mark an email as spam or phishing, which helps them filter incoming emails more effectively and reduces the number of phishing attempts you receive. After reporting, the email will be moved to your spam or junk folder, from where you should also permanently delete it.
3. Contact Your IT Department
If you receive a phishing attempt in your professional email account, your company’s policy likely requires you to notify the IT department. In some cases, you may have to fill out a form and forward it to the cybersecurity team. Make sure you are informed about the procedure you must follow to guarantee maximum security. The IT department can also assist you in determining whether an email is indeed a phishing attempt or simply spam. It’s preferable to send them a screenshot of the message and only forward the original email on their request to prevent accidental clicks.
4. Check The Identity Of The Sender
If you receive a suspicious email, it’s crucial to verify the identity of the sender and communicate with the company involved. You can do that by searching online for the official website of the company from which the message is supposed to be sent. Cross-reference information such as domain, phone number, employee name, or address, and if something doesn’t match up, contact the company through an official communication channel to inform them about the phishing attempt using their name. They will appreciate the heads-up and take additional measures to enhance their security.
5. Enhance Your Security
Regardless of whether you have clicked on a link or shared information that you shouldn’t have, this is a great opportunity to review and improve your current cybersecurity state. Start by changing the passwords and credentials for any affected accounts, and make sure you do this using the official website. If you use the same password across multiple accounts, consider using a password generator to create and store unique passwords. Finally, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts, and create backups to protect data, files, and information you can’t afford to lose.
6. Run Antivirus And Anti-Phishing Software
This is something that you need to do regularly on your systems anyway, and certainly when the suspicion of a phishing attempt exists. Run a full system malware scan to detect and remove any threats that may be hiding in your laptop or phone as a result of a phishing email. Anti-phishing software solutions are also useful, as they are designed to block potentially harmful messages by filtering suspicious links or misleading requests. Make sure these systems are always up to date and scheduled to run scans as frequently as possible.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity threats are a reality for everyone, whether you use technology all the time or only occasionally. Phishing emails, in particular, are becoming increasingly common, putting individuals and businesses at risk of exposing sensitive information to the wrong people. Although phishing attempts can cause great harm, handling them can be easier than you think. Educate yourself on the most common phishing tactics, stay calm, enhance your security using the right technology, and minimize the odds of falling victim to a cyberattack.