Spear Phishing

You know that feeling when you get an email in your inbox that says you need to ACT FAST?, They often appear completely legitimate… maybe it’s from your bank informing you about a loan or that your account is overdrawn. Maybe it’s your boss telling you he needs your help ASAP.

Is it really coming from them or is it someone else…that you don’t even know?

More often than not, it’s what we call a ‘spear phishing attack.’ It’s an attacker that wants you to open an infected attachment, click on a link, or some other action that seems legitimate, except it’s not. It’s designed to gather your information so that they can either infect your computer or hack your account.

To avoid this, the key is understanding what to look for and how to make smart choices.

 Consider this and ask yourself a few questions before you click or download anything:

• Does my bank do business like this?

• Would my boss really send me a private message asking me to do this?

• Is this how our voicemail system works?

When in doubt, don’t take immediate action. Instead, take a moment and confirm the message. Look at the phone number or email address. Send a separate message to the boss. Call the bank and ask if they sent you something. Call the Helpdesk and ask if this is how the company voicemail works.

It is always better to take a moment to check then become a victim. Always remember that just because it looks like a legitimate message doesn’t mean it is.

Be careful. Be cautious. Be vigilant.