How to Create a Hacker-Proof Team, and Protect Against Phishing Emails
What are you doing to prepare your employees for a cyber attack? Our Email Security Awareness Training prepares and tests your employees against email-based attacks!
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As you know, email is the most common way the bad guys hack into business networks.
Usually someone accidentally opens a spam email, clicks on a suspicious link, or opens an “infected” attachment.
One stray *click* is all it takes!Â
And, unfortunately, there are no tools that prevent your employees from opening the wrong email. So what can you do?
Well, we’re going to go over:
- The fact that more companies are being attacked than ever before (and how you can prevent it happening to you!)
- The two biggest security vulnerabilities in your company
- Why your emails are more vulnerable than ever, and what you can do about it
Better than a antivirus: why your employees are your #1 defense
Cyber Attacks Are On the Rise
Did you hear about the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack? How about the cyber attack on JBS (the world’s largest meatworks)?
The fact is, IT security breaches are becoming common-place. And companies are losing millions of dollars cleaning up after cyber attacks.
Consider the following:
- Between 2019 and 2020 cyber crime grew by 400%. There were 29,207 cyber security incidents in 2020 alone.
- But hackers are only targeting big corporations, right? Wrong. Statistics show that companies with less than 1,000 employees are hit even more than larger companies.
So how can you protect yourself? The first step is understanding where your greatest vulnerabilities lie…
The Two Biggest Security Vulnerabilities in Your Business
The two biggest vulnerabilities you have in your business are:
- Your users
Most cyber attacks come in the form of malicious emails. And the target is simple: your users.Â
A common strategy of hackers is to install Ransomware. Here’s how it works:
- They send an email that looks like it’s coming from a trustworthy source
- Get a user to click on a malicious link or attachment
- Install a program that uses the user’s privileges to access valuable data
- Encrypt (lock) that so that the company can no longer access it
- Charge the company an exorbitant fee to unlock it
Whether it’s ransomware, or another form of malware, the formula is often very similar. By sending fake emails, and tricking people into clicking on dangerous links (or attachments), hackers install malware and the company is compromised.
In putting together your cyber security strategy, you need to account for email, on a technical level, as well as your users…
So How Can You Protect Against an Email Attack?
There are a number of technical solutions that you can use to protect against malicious email. These are three of the most effective things you can do:
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is an effective security measure for your email. Here’s how it works:
It’s activated when anyone tries to log in to your email from a new place: a different computer, an unusual location, etc. When that happens, 2FA will send a code to your phone to verify that it’s actually you. You enter that code, and then you log in! It’s that simple!
Sure, it’s an extra step when logging in. But it’s a small change that has a HUGE impact on security.
If you’re using Google and need help setting up 2FA, here are some instructions: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185839
And if you have trouble, or have any questions at all, please contact us and we can help!
Use a Strong Antivirus
Using a good antivirus can have a huge difference on your company’s security posture. Many antivirus programs include real-time protection against phishing (email) attacks. They may even specifically protect against malware, such as ransomware.
You should have antivirus on all of your devices – not just your desktop PCs. You should have antivirus on your Laptops, Mac devices, Android phones, etc.
Are you in need of a strong antivirus solution? We can help! Reach out to us today, and learn how we can help protect your data – not just against email attacks, but cyber attacks of all kind!
Keep Your Devices Up-to-Date
One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they don’t update their devices. This can introduce huge security risks!
Make a plan to keep your devices up-to-date: both the operating system (i.e. Windows, MacOS, Android, etc) as well as the individual programs and applications that you use. Many of the updates are “security updatesâ€. They are released specifically to help keep your device secure.
Blatantly ignoring those updates puts you and your company at risk.
But How Do You Protect Your Users?
So you’re using Two-Factor Authentication, you have a strong antivirus installed, and your updating your devices on a consistent basis.
Are you protected? Mostly. But there’s still one variable that can undo all of that!
You see, even the strictest antivirus can’t protect you against a careless user. Remember, one click is all it takes to compromise your business’s security.
Your users need to be trained on proper email security.
They need to be trained and tested on a consistent, ongoing basis. And, in order to protect your company, you need to know if any of your users have grown careless. And you need to know right away.
Training your users on your own can be difficult. It requires planning, systems, automation, reporting, and – most importantly: time.
Hopefully by now you recognize how vital it is for your users to be at the top-of-their-game. But if you’re like most business owners I know, you probably don’t have a whole lot of spare time for training and testing your users. You’re busy doing what you do best: running your business…
That’s why, we at 911 PC Help, have put together a special offer for you. We have a special program that turns your users from being complacent and distracted, to being security rock-stars.
Here’s How It Works
- We periodically send FAKE scam emails to random users in your business
- When someone falls for it (by clicking on the link), they are sent to a short training video that teaches them how to avoid scam emails in the future
- A few weeks later, a different fake email will be sent out, and we test them again
The best part is: We send you reports showing how your staff reacts to these emails, and how they respond to training.
You always know how your staff are doing and can see how they improve over time.Â
This cycle of Testing -> Correcting -> Re-Testing -> Reporting ensures that your staff are properly trained and protected against the most dangerous and common cyber attacks.
Get Started Today!
So how do you get started? It’s easy! Just fill out the form below. Simply type in your name, email address, and the name of your company, then click “Submitâ€.
You’ll get a free demo report so you can see exactly how it works!
And within 72 hours I will personally contact you for a FREE CONSULTATION to discuss what you’re doing already to protect against cyber attacks, and how we can help you be even more secure.
Click Here to Schedule Your Free Consultation Today!
Is There Any Obligation?
No. This consultation is 100% Free.Â
We’ll meet and talk about your cyber security strategy. I’ll make some recommendations – some of which you can implement all on your own! And if you decide to use some of our solutions, we can go from there.
But there is absolutely no up-front commitment required.
Don’t Wait!
As you know, cyber attacks are on the rise:
- 10,000’s of companies are affected each year
- $1,000,000’s are being paid out by companies who weren’t properly protected
We don’t want you to be another victim! We want your business to be safe and secure and we want you to be protected against cyber attacks of all kinds, and we’re ready to take the first step with you.
Fill out the form to get your free demo report! Then we’ll meet and talk about how we can protect you and your data against hackers and other malicious entities.