Inspiring Business by Sharing Success
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 12 October 2022
UPDATED: 14 October 2022
Last year 83% of organisations reported experiencing phishing attacks – that’s up 28% from 2020. And it’s expected there will be an additional 6 billion attacks this year.
These stats have been examined by local technology expert Lee Hewson, of Your IT Department.
“In my experience, local business leaders have heard of phishing but don’t know the specifics,” he said.
“It’s called ‘phishing’ because cyber criminals bait unsuspecting victims into ‘biting’, much in the same way you’d lure a fish to a hook with a maggot.
“This virtual bait is usually in the form of an email. And when the victim gets hooked, their device and potentially their whole network can become infected with malware.
“Or the victim is enticed into giving away login credentials which can lead to data and even financial theft.”
There are many other forms of phishing, including:
Lee, added:
“There are so many different ways cyber criminals target local businesses.
“The only protection that works is a blend of software to protect you, and training for your staff. When staff know about the red flags, they are much more likely to spot a scam before clicking a bad link.
“Your staff are the first line of your defence.”
Your IT Department was formed in 2009 and specialises in supporting local businesses in the East Midlands area.