How to avoid and recognize phishing scams

Scammers will use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. But there are several things you can do to protect yourself.

Having your computer up-to-date and patched with the most recent security updates along with some malware protection running smoothly on your system like Entrap can lessen the chances of infection.

Just because the email is coming from a familiar name of someone you trust or know doesn’t mean it really is. Be sure to pay extra close attention to the email alias to ensure it is correct. Sometimes, there may be a character off or the domain name is slightly different.

Hover over parts of the email without actually clicking anything. If you hover long enough you will see the alt text, if the description looks a little strange or does not match the link description, then DO NOT click it.

Is the email asking for personal information

Legitimate companies will not ask for highly sensitive information and chances are, neither will someone you know. Even if a loved one is asking for personal information or at least, the culprit appears too–it’s best to call your friends and family and double-check they sent the suspicious email out.

Be wary of too much of a sense of urgency

These types of emails will always speak in a highly urgent tone. The CFO needs a million-dollar wire transfer to complete a transaction that will make you believe you will get paid, a Nigerian prince has passed away leaving behind all this unclaimed money or it will be masked as a work-from-home opportunity that is too good to be true.

be careful with attachments

Hackers and attackers love to attack you with a very tempting attachment. Be on the lookout for the attachment having either a really long name or something truly unreadable almost in a computer language format. There can be something like a fake Microsoft Word doc that isn’t the Word doc you thought it was.

If you are still in doubt, contact your soc

Your Security Operation Center or Managed Services Provider would rather you send/open an email that is legit rather than put your personal information or even an organization at high risk.

In closing what do you do if you have been compromised

If you think a scammer or hacker has your information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, go to IdentityTheft.gov. In that link, you can find a step-by-step process on what to do to protect yourself and get your information back.

If you feel you have clicked on a link or opened an attachment that downloaded harmful software, update your computer’s security software. Once the update is complete, run a scan.