Vircom SOLUTIONS

Email Phishing Protection

Protect your organization from phishing attacks and social engineering

Phishing and social engineering attacks are the entry point for today’s most damaging cyber threats, growing more complex by the day. Targeted Office 365  phishing attacks use deception to breach organizations and steal valuable data.

Don't Let your Business
be the Next Target

Phishing and social engineering are among the most dangerous entry points for today’s cyber threats, becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeted, especially within Office 365 environments.

Vircom’s advanced anti-phishing software is designed to safeguard your organization’s sensitive data, preventing breaches and mitigating cyber risks. Protect your business with solutions that keep evolving to counter the latest threats.

Navigating the Waters of Phishing Scams: Protection and Prevention

Phishing attacks have become a prevalent threat, targeting individuals and organizations to steal sensitive information through deceptive emails and messages.

Understanding the nature of these scams and adopting effective phishing prevention measures is crucial for safeguarding your personal and financial information.

Understanding Phishing Attacks and their Impact

A phishing scam typically involves an attacker sending a phishing email or text message that appears to be from a reputable source.

The goal is to trick the recipient into revealing personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers. Spear phishing, a more targeted form of phishing, focuses on specific individuals or organizations to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.

This malicious activity can lead to significant financial losses, as the attacker can use this stolen information to commit fraud, identity theft, or even drain bank accounts without the victim’s knowledge.

$1.8 M

Avg. Phishing Cost

Phishing frauds cost organizations an average of $1.8 million per incident, covering data breaches, disruptions, and recovery.
(source: IBM Security)

91%

Attacks Start with Phishing Email

91% of cyber-attacks start with a phishing email, making it a top method for cybercriminals.
(source: Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report)

$7.91 B

Economic Losses

Phishing attacks caused $7.91 billion in global losses in 2021, underscoring their severe financial impact.
(source: Cybersecurity Ventures)

Identifying a Phishing Email

Recognizing phishing emails is the first step in phishing prevention.

How to identify a Phishing Email?

Common indicators of phishing messages include:

  • a sense of urgency
  • requests for sensitive information
  • discrepancies in the sender’s email address
  • links that direct to malicious websites or suspicious attachments
  • spelling mistakes and poor grammar
  • generic greetings such as “Dear User”
  • Attachments with Malware: They attach files that contain malicious software designed to compromise the recipient’s system upon download.
Phishing emails often contain links that look valid but direct you to malicious websites. Inspect links carefully. Hover over any links without clicking them to see where they actually lead.

Phishing emails are evolving constantly, adopting new tactics that make them harder to detect. Email security measures, such as spam filters and email scanning, can help detect phishing practices, however personal vigilance and user education are also essential.

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Types of Phishing Threats

Social Engineering

Social engineering is any attack that attempts to pressure a user into doing something or revealing information, often by using psychological tactics to influence the victim.

Spear Phishing

Is a cyber-attack that sets its sights on specific individuals or organizations.

Unlike regular phishing, which casts a wide net hoping to snare the gullible, spear phishing involves careful reconnaissance, detailed personalization, and a deeper level of research to craft fraudulent communications that are very convincing.

Clone Phishing

Attackers create replicas of legitimate emails, modifying links or attachments to redirect recipients to malicious websites or download malware.

This attack is often paired with BEC (Business Email Compromise) strategies.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC is considered a form of phishing, specifically a targeted attack, as it relies on social engineering tactics to manipulate individuals into making financial transactions or divulging confidential information.

CEO Fraud

Impersonation of company executives to trick employees into wiring money or providing sensitive information, exploiting trust and authority.

Vishing

Also known as voice phishing.

This attack often starts with an email attack known as TOAD (telephone-oriented attack delivery) which attempts to direct a user into calling a phone number.

Smishing

This attack uses text messaging or SMS to deliver the phishing method rather than email.

Angler Phishing

This type of phishing attack uses a fake social media account impersonating a known brand.

Bad actors will reply to a customer impersonating the brand account and trick them into clicking a link or calling a phone number.

Phishing Prevention Tips: Safeguarding your Information with the 'People, Process, Technology' Framework

An integrated approach to cybersecurity, encompassing people, processes, and technology, is essential to effectively mitigate phishing threats. Each element complements the others, ensuring a comprehensive and layered defense strategy.

Integrating robust layers of defense, including email authentication, advanced security software, and aligning with the “People, Process, Technology” framework, significantly bolsters your protection and reduces the risk of falling victim to phishing scams.

Advanced Techniques for Email Hoax Identification

When processes are documented, technology is effectively deployed, and people are trained and vigilant, the three elements of ‘People, Process, Technology’ work together to:
  • Increase Preparedness:Ensure your organization can respond to phishing attempts.
  • Reduce Response Time: Defined processes and up-to-date technology make identifying and containing phishing attacks quicker and more effective.
  • Improve Awareness: Regular training and technology tools support user awareness, fostering a security culture within the organization.

Building a Resilient Email Fraud Defense System

Mitigating the effects of deceptive emails requires reducing vulnerability and risk while ensuring that threat identification isn’t solely reliant on individual users.

Email Protection

Use advanced email security solutions that include anti-spam software and anti-malware software. These tools are designed to intercept and quarantine phishing emails embedded with malware, significantly reducing the number of phishing attempts that infiltrate your inbox.

AI and Behavioral Analytics

AI platforms analyze user behavior, learning from patterns to detect security threats. This approach goes beyond content inspection to consider the context and intent of emails.

Time-of-Click Scans and Computer Vision Technology

Time-of-click scans go beyond standard static email scans by evaluating threats when recipients click on links, offering real-time detection of emerging or activated post-send threats. Integrating computer vision technology enhances security, identifying phishing sites aimed at credential theft.

Email Authentication

Email authentication methods are vital in combating phishing attacks by verifying sender identity, using techniques like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

These standards act as barriers, filtering out fraudulent emails and reducing successful phishing attempts. Link to blog article: here

Credential Request Verification

Be cautious with emails that ask for personal information or direct you to click on a link. Always verify the authenticity of the request by contacting the company directly through official channels. Link to blog article: here

Education and Awareness

Learn how to identify phishing emails and educate your users. Recognizing the types of phishing, including mass phishing and spear phishing, can help individuals and organizations spot phishing scams before they cause harm. Link to blog article: here

Conduct Regular Security Audits

Regular security audits can help identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

These audits should include reviewing security policies, assessing the effectiveness of anti-phishing measures, and checking for any unusual or suspicious activities.

Establish Incident Response Protocols

In the event of a successful phishing attack, it's essential to have clear incident response protocols in place. This includes steps for containing the breach, recovering any lost or compromised data, and communicating with stakeholders about the incident.

Vircom Proactive Approach to
Phishing Prevention

Phishing and malware threats are constantly changing, becoming more advanced and harder to spot. To protect your organization effectively, taking a proactive approach is crucial.

Vircom provides phishing prevention strategies that offer more than just basic protection. By strengthening your email security, regularly educating your team on new threats, and using the latest security technologies, you can stay ahead of cybercriminals.
“Vircom’s solutions are an integral component of our cybersecurity defense. Their continued product enhancements and overall effectiveness combined with staff sense of urgency and follow up are one of the reasons Vircom is one of our longest running partners.”
James M. Schindler, VP of Technology CLEARY BUILDING CORP

Fortify your defense against email phishing.

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