As a business owner, you recognise the risks that phishing and social engineering attacks pose to your business. These threats are continually evolving and have become more sophisticated.
Hackers often target employees, and an error by an untrained employee can lead to significant financial and reputational damage. It is advisable to prioritise awareness as a key defence strategy.
Below, we’ll let you know what to watch out for. Understanding these phishing and social engineering techniques will help in safeguarding your business.
Common Tactics
The era when poor grammar indicated a phishing attempt has passed. With the assistance of artificial intelligence, hackers have significantly improved their strategies. Below are some common tactics they employ to attract their victims:
URL Spoofing
This technique involves the creation of a website that closely imitates the appearance and branding of a legitimate website. Hackers design these fraudulent websites by replicating the logo, URL, colour scheme, and overall branding of a trusted site, with the intent to deceive users into disclosing sensitive information.
Link Manipulation
This type of scam involves hackers creating links that initially appear legitimate but redirect to malicious websites upon closer inspection. Clicking such a link can be hazardous, as it may launch malware or steal sensitive data without the user’s knowledge. The deceptive nature of the link poses serious risks to cybersecurity.
Link Shortening
Many people use link shorteners for convenience. However, link shorteners can sometimes be used to direct users to malicious websites or steal data. It is important to preview any shortened link before clicking on it to ensure it leads to a trusted website.
AI Voice Spoofing
This technology uses AI-based methods to replicate someone’s voice convincingly. Cybercriminals can use this to deceive individuals, making them believe they are speaking with family members or colleagues. For instance, they might impersonate your son or boss to request money or passwords. These calls are designed to seem urgent and genuine, which is how scammers exploit this method.
Stay A Step Ahead
Phishing and social engineering attacks take advantage of the possibility of human error among employees. To mitigate this, it’s important to remain proactive.
As an IT service provider, we understand the necessity for your business security to be strong in response to changing phishing threats.