If you don't know what phishing is, just think about the number of unsolicited emails you've received. Some inform you that you urgently need to update your account information, others that your login details have been compromised, or that you've won an incredible prize in a promotion you never even entered. All of these emails can be traps, and it's necessary to have phishing protection resources to keep your data safe.
This scam has the following main objectives:
- Obtain confidential data and information fraudulently;
- Access networks and devices;
- Use this data to carry out financial scams.
Through phishing scams, cybercriminals can trick users into unwittingly providing data by clicking on banners, links, and other traps. Therefore, it's crucial to have a phishing protection tool that helps keep your company's sensitive data safer.
Phishing: What are hackers' new strategies?
As seen previously, there are numerous ways to carry out a phishing scam , some more easily identifiable than others. Because this scam can be carried out in different ways, it's important to be aware of a few factors , such as:
- Be wary of matters considered urgent: It's very common for cybercriminals to use the urgency strategy to trick users into clicking links or downloading malicious attachments.
- Compromised account: If you receive an email from a bank informing you that your account has been compromised, do not click the link. Your best option is to contact the institution directly to confirm whether there is actually a problem with your account.
- Emails with suspicious attachments deserve extra attention: Suspicious attachments (such as invoices, photos, transaction receipts, etc.) should be carefully monitored. Hackers often create fake pages that look very similar to the original ones to confuse users and end up handing over their login details and credit card information.
Cybercriminals are currently employing new strategies to increase their reach and the likelihood of attacking individuals and businesses. One example is spear phishing, a strategy in which phishing is specifically targeted at a specific group of people, such as managers, company directors, administrators, and CEOs.
Another scam that's been causing a lot of damage is BitB Phishing. Want to know how it works? Check out this video that will explain everything you need to know:
It's important to remember that, even though this type of attack doesn't always install viruses or malware on devices , it can still pose a significant problem. Besides the risk of having confidential information leaked, companies can also experience disruptions, disrupted services, and substantial financial losses.
By exploiting employees' vulnerability, cybercriminals gain access to a company's networks and devices, jeopardizing business continuity and integrity . To make these scams even more effective, criminals try to make the email subject line more enticing by using names from the victim's contact list, companies, or financial institutions.
With the advancement of technology, the ways of applying these scams have also advanced, such as:
- Cryptocurrency scam: Using messages asking for donations to Ukrainian victims of the recent war against Russia , cybercriminals are able to fraudulently collect data and obtain cryptocurrency.
- Social media platforms: With the rise in popularity of social media platforms, hackers have taken advantage of this opportunity to create fake accounts for well-known companies , so that users end up clicking on malicious links and providing their information, especially credit card information.
How can your business be harmed?
Phishing is much more than just a prank to deceive users, it is a scam that can cause several losses to a company , such as:
- Sending personal and confidential information on fake pages or links;
- Contamination of devices by malware, viruses, spyware, or ransomware, which is a data theft scam that can cause significant financial losses;
- Conversion of company computers into bots (zombie computers often used in DDoS attacks);
- Indiscriminate sending of spam emails to customers and company employees;
- Impact of the company's image on the market;
- Damage to customer relationships;
- Access to confidential data and documents in cloud services;
- Substantial financial blows;
- And many other problems.
Is it possible to avoid accessing phishing sites?
Every day, cybercriminals try to develop new techniques to ensure their strategies deliver results and their malicious links and files are accessed. Therefore, controlling internet access is essential to keeping your company protected.
It's very common for employees to use work time to access entertainment websites, personal emails, social media, and e-commerce sites, among other content. While seemingly harmless, this type of attack can lead users company information
An example of this type of approach is fake advertising on Instagram and Facebook. Cybercriminals create fake profiles that look identical to those of major companies , such as Americanas, Magazine Luiza, Amazon, and other retailers.
Using paid ads, they market promotions to a large number of people, containing malicious links or fake shopping sites that force users to provide credit card information or pay bills, resulting in substantial financial losses . Here's an example of this type of scam:
Having an internet blocking tool is essential to maintaining business security and ensuring that work time is used for the company's interests.
Lumiun Box: the best protection against Phishing
As we've seen in several articles here on the Lumiun Blog, the main "key" to a phishing attack is clicking on links to fake websites in various media, such as social media, email, and even SMS. To avoid phishing problems, the best solution is undoubtedly to block websites considered harmful or outside the scope of the work.
Imagine a simple, intuitive solution that requires no technical knowledge to install and can manage your company's entire internet network without installing any software on devices, blocking malicious websites, social media, news, entertainment, and much more. Well, this solution is called Lumiun Box . Here are some of its features and functionalities:
- firewall
- Network port blocking, protecting company data and information.
- Business VPN
- Control and protection of remote connections to the company's internal data and systems.
- Management reports
- Analysis of access in real time and by customized period, facilitating the creation of an internet access control policy.
- Managing multiple networks
- Manage branches or networks from a single dashboard.
With all these features, the improvement in productivity in the company's internet usage is evident, in addition to several other benefits:
- It prevents attacks on the company's network and systems , thanks to an extra layer of protection that helps block numerous types of viruses and malware;
- It allows information about access patterns to be consolidated and contributes to more assertive management, since managers will know which sites are most accessed, times, site categories, etc.;
- It contributes to the implementation of an internet access policy , with customized rules based on website category, security and reputation levels, and access times ;
- Because it is cloud-based, it eliminates the need to configure servers or special software;
- It has access rules applicable to all devices connected to the company network, without the need for individual installation.
Rely on technology to improve processes and eliminate daily worries related to productivity and internet security for your company. Lumiun Lumiun Box demo and see firsthand how the solution improves internet usage .
Until later!
