What Are Some Best Practices To Prevent Phishing Attacks?

Published on: 01 November 2022 Last Updated on: 20 February 2025

Cybercriminals these days are very active because the use of the internet has become common and now they can easily find different victims.

There are different types of online frauds and scams played by cyber criminals. Out of all the frauds, the most common one is phishing attacks.

According to research, phishing attacks are affecting millions of people every year in one way or another. If you are running a brand you want to protect your account, you should know how you can prevent phishing attacks. Here are a few common practices:

5 Best Practices To Prevent Phishing Attacks

1. Never click on any random click:

Many phishing attacks come in the form of a link. You receive an email that contains a link. You should not click on that link unless you are sure about the fact that the sender of the email is someone you know.

If the link has come from an unknown source, you can simply hover over the link to see what website it leads to. Don’t try to click on any link because it will take you to the website where you will become vulnerable to a phishing attack.

2. Never share your information anywhere:

You might want to share your personal information with a website that is legitimate but not so secure. If it is an e-commerce website, try to buy products and pay for them at your doorsteps instead of making advance payments through your debit or credit card.

When you share your debit or credit card details on an insecure website, you put your card and your finances at risk.

This way, you can easily attack a phishing attack. If you are running a business in Australia and you want to protect your business from phishing attacks, click on where you can get the best DMARC monitoring in Australia.

3. Keep changing your passwords:

People are often recommended to keep changing their passwords after regular intervals so that they can keep all the potential hackers and attackers at bay. Sometimes, your account gets compromised without even knowing. When this happens, you will lose all your data.

This type of phishing attack is very dangerous because it can compromise your private data. So, if you keep changing your passwords, you will be able to ensure that your account is secure from various types of phishing attacks.

4. Keep firewalls:

Installing firewalls is always an effective strategy to prevent yourself from potential attacks of phishing. It acts like a barrier between your personal computer where you operate your accounts and the platforms where attackers are waiting to compromise your data.

There are different types of firewalls. If you use two or three of them in combination, you can achieve the desired level of security.

5. Never pay attention to pop-ups:

Some pop-ups are very attractive and tempt people to open them and get attacked. You should never click on these pop-ups. For more safety, you can download software that will block different pop-ups.

Additionals:

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A Comprehensive Guide To IT Consulting Services

Does your business need IT consulting services? Information technology consultants create strategic roadmaps for their clients by laying out their goals, objectives, and business drivers. Such a roadmap is essential for making sure your technology organization is aligned with your overall corporate strategy. The demand for cybersecurity consulting and digital transformation is becoming stronger as companies embrace artificial intelligence, mobile technologies, cloud migration, and big data. Almost seventy percent of business owners claim that their cybersecurity risks are on the rise. Hence, professional assistance is more than welcome. The Guide Below Will Introduce You To IT Consulting Services: 1. IT strategy and planning IT strategy and planning are frequently requested by businesses. Strategic information technology is the core value of companies, as it helps them invest in the best technologies to be prepared for the upcoming challenges. IT consultants work with businesses in devising a strategic plan that sets their short-term and long-term goals, as well as a plan on how to achieve them. 2. Budgeting Another service that’s closely connected to strategic planning is IT budgeting. Many companies face challenges in trying to build an IT budget because of not understanding their information technology needs. Professional IT consultants will assist you in developing a realistic budget that incorporates your resources and assets. Besides your own resources, the budget also comprises the estimated costs of the new technology that delivers the greatest value to your organization. See this page for some tips on creating a budget. 3. Security risk assessment Another IT consulting service of tremendous assistance to businesses is security risk assessment. Since companies rely more and more on technology, security risks increase as well. Consequently, a data breach or a ransomware cyberattack may cause significant legal, reputational, and financial damage. Anyhow, by conducting a security risk assessment, these consultants will define the level of risk and create a mitigation approach for its minimization. 4. Cloud and data migration services Cloud and data migration services help companies transfer their applications and data from physical data centers to public and private clouds. Such transfer is usually performed to improve security and reduce costs. Professional consultants are experienced in developing the perfect strategy for cloud migration by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of each cloud provider, calculating the costs, and then implementing a plan to ensure a smooth migration. 5. IT assessment Another type of consulting service for businesses to consider is the IT assessment. As time goes by, your network keeps on developing by adding hardware and software layers, which might lead to overlooked security gaps. Fortunately, information technology consultants are capable of performing a detailed review of your computing environment. This article, https://www.securityweek.com/top-five-security-gaps-hybrid-it, includes the top five security gaps in hybrid IT. In the course of these reviews, consultants perform an examination of the current technology to see its effect on your business development. Your existing technology is either hindering or assisting your business to grow, meaning changes have to be made in the former situation. Once the evaluation is completed, you will receive it in writing. The written version of the evaluation identifies the crucial areas that would benefit from an improvement. Related Resource: Standard Consulting Updating Businesses Now On ISO 9001 Changes 6. Business continuity and disaster recovery This consulting service is indispensable for preventing business interruptions from affecting the flow of work. Such interruptions are bound to happen, which is why a disaster recovery plan is of vital importance in times of crisis. Information technology consulting firms are experienced in the formulation of such plans, which explain how employees are expected to communicate during a crisis, access the necessary tools, and find the data they need. These plans are of great value when business interruptions occur, as the process of work should keep on flowing. Reasons to hire IT consulting services These consulting firms are worth hiring because of providing businesses with numerous advantages. The majority of IT consulting firms place the focus on the optimization of core business processes. These processes can be optimized by improving employee productivity, tracking performance, achieving maximum efficiency, and building an effective strategy. Information technology consultants help their clients improve their organizational structure by some of the burdens off their shoulders. As not all employees are equipped with knowledge of technology, the chances of them making errors are much higher. By hiring professional consultants, your staff members can get back to their daily tasks and be much more productive. Another reason for companies to consider hiring such consulting services is the cost-effectiveness of making such a decision. The act of hiring full-time information technology employees involves paying salaries, compensations, perks, and other benefits. Even when there are no challenges for them to address, you will still have to pay them. Consultants, however, aren’t hired on a permanent basis. They work on given projects and leave once the work is entirely performed. You won’t be obliged to pay any additional expenses, just the agreed cost for their services. Additionally, these specialists will use fewer resources compared to the resources used by in-house teams. Once their job on a project is done, you won’t need to keep them on the payroll. Another reason why many companies consider hiring such specialists is the experience they bring to the table. They are experts in the information technology field and know every nook and cranny of the market. These experts devote most of their time to doing research on the IT industry so as to get familiar with all the new products and upcoming trends. Learn more useful facts about the information technology sector. The availability of these consultants is usually 24/7, meaning they are on the job at any time of day or night. Given most of them work with clients from different parts of the globe, you can get assistance whenever necessary. Nevertheless, instead of assuming that your provider offers 24/7 assistance, make sure to confirm this assumption during the interview, as well as ask whether you will get charged extra for making calls in the middle of the night. By hiring such a consulting firm, you will also be able to train your staff. Consultants can assume the role of mentors for your in-house personnel by sharing their knowledge and experience. The areas in which your employees would benefit the most from receiving IT training are related to security and troubleshooting issues. It’s useful for your personnel members to know how to troubleshoot the most basic IT issues instead of immediately seeking assistance. In contrast, the security training will help them identify the most frequent cybersecurity risks in order for them to report these threats or, even better, block them. Increased employee productivity is another benefit of partnering with an IT consulting firm. In small businesses, it’s common for in-house teams to have too many projects on their plate, which leads to increased stress and reduced productivity. Professional consultants can free up your team of employees to get back to their core functions. Consequently, their productivity will improve significantly. See this URL, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/to-increase-productivity-_b_6639482, for the key to increasing productivity. To sum up Hiring such a consultant is a necessity for any business relying on information technology. A trusted advisor can translate the newest technologies into a competitive benefit for your company! Read Also: Is Other Consumer Services A Good Career Path In 2021? Do You Need A Restaurant Consultant to Open A Restaurant? SEO Consulting Price: The Average Cost of SEO Services in 2021

5 Tips to Improve Your Internet Privacy

Have you ever faced a cybersecurity breach or a severe hacking attempt? What was the most overwhelming feeling following the occurrence? Indeed, whenever something of such sort happens, we feel that our privacy got breached. We begin to realize that there’s no more confidentiality left, and someone else is in command of our personal affairs. The truth is that’s when we discover the true worth of maintaining our privacy. The reality, as it seems, is that individuals or companies may face a cybersecurity breach irrespective of what they do. It is simply because the technology and security systems have progressed, threats have advanced too. Somehow, those attempting such manipulation always find a way to defeat the security measures and protocols. One way to combat or at least minimize such a level of a breach is to pay extreme care to personal security. At an individual level and as an organization’s employee, a person can somewhat tackle the threat with some steps. These include being cautious when using a public computer and avoiding sharing personal information online. Another measure is to gain advanced cybersecurity expertise. In other words, you may earn a postgraduate degree in cybersecurity to defend against threats. In doing so, you will learn in detail about cyber law and security and how they apply in today’s digital age. You will also study digital forensics, focusing on the investigation of data on the devices. Only a Cyber Security Masters or Bachelors degree can provide the opportunity to earn discreet knowledge on the subject. While you do so, why not learn about some essential tips to safeguard your internet privacy? Let’s begin. 1. Be Wary of the Websites You Visit: The first rule to maintain your privacy is to be conscious of your browsing habits. It is essential to be mindful of the sites you visit not to fall into any trouble unknowingly. When we talk about websites, we generally think that avoiding them is too convenient, while this isn’t entirely true. Substandard websites or those that have ransom-ware or harmful downloadable programs in them do appear in disguise. Further, they may have engaging content, such as a compelling catch-line to lure the potential victims. Pointing them out and avoiding them is the key to keeping your privacy intact. 2. Draw Limitations on Social Media: Social media can have the most profound impact on your privacy, so we need to be careful about it. It seems just so tempting to jump on the bandwagon and share our two cents on a trendy topic. But, if you want your privacy to remain, you will need to draw out some limitations on the usage. When we say restrictions, we don’t mean that you shouldn’t engage with your acquaintances or engage with potential customers. Instead, what we mean is that you should be careful about what you post. Don’t hand out your personal information or data that could harm you in the longer run. 3. Ensure Privacy Checks Exist: Your steps for privacy should be of paramount importance to you as these guarantee confidentiality. To ensure that, it has to be conscious and constant effort to avoid facing a predicament. Besides being alert, one needs to place sufficient privacy checks, depending on their individual or organizational needs. Especially at an organization level, you will need to ensure that your employees follow online safety protocols. Each resource will need to make decisions and execute plans as per the company directives. Every individual needs to be aware of the steps to take in data theft or online breach. 4. Install Sufficient Software: It would be best to have specific programs on your computer to safeguard your crucial information from all privacy breaching attempts. Let’s try to understand it from a larger perspective. When you are securing your house, you install ample security devices and systems. The primary reason is to rule out any intrusion. Similarly, you need to install sufficient software on your machine to avoid any invasion. It includes anti-virus, anti-ransomware, and anti-spam programs that can safeguard your computer. But remember that you have adequate memory in the machine to keep running everything smoothly. Also, all programs must have complete synergy to produce the effect needed. 5. Secure Every Device: When we strive to maintain privacy, we primarily focus on securing our computer, laptop, or tablet. In doing so, we sometimes overlook our smartphones, and that’s where the problem begins. If we ponder it, it is our cell phone we use the most, so greater care is needed there. The biggest potential threat in terms of privacy when using a mobile phone is an app. Sometimes, we need an app urgently so that we can download the required program in seconds. However, it is essential to make all the devices secure to maintain comprehensive privacy. Final Thoughts: Attaining online privacy seems like an uphill task in today’s digital era. In a fast-paced world where businesses have intense competition, it is always hard to be alert about privacy. The existing threats of data breaches make it even more difficult to ensure security. But a few steps for online privacy can go a long way in ascertaining productivity and progress. So let us act wisely! Read Also: 8 VPN Facts – You Should Know About Top 10 Cybersecurity Features That Are A Must-Have In An Ecommerce Store What are the things you need to know while choosing Antivirus Software? Five Tips to Make Sure Your Security Software Is Actually Secure

How Dangerous is Ransomware Anyway?

Ransomware alerts are a bit over-the-top. A victim might think the infection is a joke. The pop-up stating the computer owner must pay up a credit card-delivered ransom to regain access to a computer seems like something out of a sci-fi/espionage movie. Here's some news: ransomware is no joke. The infection doesn't exist solely in the mind of a creative filmmaker or novelist. Ransomware is real and, yes, the virus is dangerous. What is Ransomware? Ransomware is a virus that locks down a computer. As the name suggests, ransomware overrides a computer user's password access to his/her computer. Depending on the situation, being locked out of a computer proves troubling. Even a short lockout presents disasters. And the ransomware might not be the only virus infecting the computer. What if the hard drive's contents are being stolen and downloaded? Out of panic, some may think to pay the ransom will get them out of a bad situation. Ransomware architects probably aren't the most trustworthy of persons. Paying up money won't automatically lead to the desired outcome or stop ransomware threats in the future. The Dangers of Ransomware: Anyone who doesn't think a ransomware attack represents serious dangers should look at the 2018 attack on the United Kingdom's National Health Service. The NHS serves as the epicenter of healthcare in the U.K. The "WannaCry" cyber attack put hundreds of thousands of computers on lockdown. Thousands of appointments ended up canceled -- a dire situation. Not everyone booked to see a doctor requires only minor treatments. With the hackers demanding a massive Bitcoin payment to unlock the computer systems, many people were left unable to see a healthcare provider. By the time the situation concluded, the NHS lost £92 million in IT costs. The NHS also learned a valuable lesson: don't use outdated IT systems. Reliance on the archaic Windows XP system made things easier for hackers. Take Steps to Prevent a Ransomware Attack: Contacting a computer security expert to solve a ransomware attack makes sense. So does contacting the same experts to discuss methods to stop ransomware and prevent an attack. Keeping hackers out is a lot easier and less stressful than dealing with the aftermath of their attacks. Sometimes, preventive measures involve little more than not falling into the most common ransomware trap: opening an infected email file. Yes, the age-old concept of malicious fishing still works. So does taking common-sense security steps and updating all security measures. Ransomware Expands Its Targets: Although reports of sensationalized ransomware attacks may be down, the threat always looms over computer systems. Don't think solely relying on Linux OS will save you. Ransomware may hit any operating system. The designers of the virus want to hit as many targets as possible. More targets mean more potential ransom money. While no one should experience paranoia about ransomware-impending doom, it never hurts to be cautious. Learn about trends in ransomware and other viruses. This way, you can take steps to prevent and deal with the threat. Read Also: Bitdefender Antivirus For Mac Review Why DRM Is The New Standard For Document Security

What Are Some Best Practices To Prevent Phishing Attacks?