The profound changes in work habits caused by the pandemic have brought to the fore the importance of the “human” factor in protecting corporate data. Even if the technical barriers may seem airtight, it is the employees who are both the main line of defense and the weakest link against cyber threats. That’s why it’s important to educate them on the techniques used by cybercriminals, such as phishing. By performing phishing simulations, you will considerably reduce the potential risks you are exposed to. We explain how it works in this article.
Reminder Of The Concept Of Phishing
Phishing is most of the time an e-mail with a link to a suspicious message that invites to action under the pretext of an emergency. It is used by cybercriminals to access their victims’ computers in order to steal confidential information or to extract money. The targeted victims are asked to perform an action (open an attachment, go to a page, click on a link, etc.). All it takes is a moment of inattention or a misstep by a single employee to put your entire organization at risk.
How Phishing Simulations Work
A good simulation should be kept confidential and only a few people in management should know about its implementation. Also consider having an IT contact person to whom users should always report fraudulent emails and messages. Once the context is established, phishing scams can be put into action. The key is to strike a balance between sending too frequently, which could raise suspicion, and sending too infrequently, which will not allow you to get statistics quickly. Also, you should not send phishing emails to all your employees at the same time, but to groups of employees at different times and days. When constructing the email, think like a cybercriminal by raising an urgency and inserting a link other than the one stated in the email, then purposely add an error within the email address.
Get A Professional To Run Your Phishing Simulations
It is essential to perform a topical simulation with techniques inspired by the latest phishing threats. For this, choosing a partner specialized in cybersecurity can be a wise and profitable choice. At MS solutions, we offer customizable phishing simulation solutions to make the “attacks” as real as possible. Then, thanks to statistics and a detailed report of the actions of each of your employees, you will be able to create a training program to reinforce your security as a result of the simulation results. In addition, it is recommended to run these simulations a few times during the year, and to multiply the training opportunities. Our cybersecurity professionals will also be able to assist you in implementing your best practices. Even with an awareness program in place, your organization can still fall victim to a successful phishing attack. That’s why in the event of an actual phishing attack, your employees must be transparent and follow the appropriate established policy.
In Conclusion
Technical barriers such as firewalls, updates, patches and security software alone do not provide sufficient protection against increasingly subtle phishing techniques. An employee who is aware after having phishing simulations and training will be better able to avoid the traps of cybercriminals. For more advice on a phishing simulation tailored to your business, contact a cybersecurity expert or learn more about our employee cybersecurity training.
