Spear Phishing Prevention: How to Protect Your Business

You probably know what phishing is, but have you heard of spear phishing?

Spear phishing works in almost the opposite way to regular phishing. Instead of casting a large “net” to maximize their chances of success, cybercriminals narrow their focus onto just one target, which can be either an individual or organization.

With such phishing attacks happening, how do you practice spear phishing prevention?

Below are some helpful tips on fending off spear phishing attacks and how to protect against phishing.

Don’t fall behind on updates

Just as pests do, cybercriminals are always trying to worm their way into your “house.” Because they’re constantly looking for ways to exploit software vulnerabilities, it’s vital that you install updates and patches whenever you can.

This doesn’t just apply to your operating system and antivirus program; your browser has updates as well, so don’t neglect those. The more on top of all three you are, the smaller the chance of cybercriminals breaking through your defences.

MORE : What is Phishing

Get confirmation on potentially suspicious emails

Did you get an email from your coworker but something seems a bit off? It may feel like a silly, paranoid thought, but you should always trust your gut. Scammers can spoof email addresses and display names, so it never hurts to check in with senders to make sure it’s actually from them.

MORE : How Can You Identify a Phishing Email

Encrypt your sensitive information

Encryption is always a good idea for sensitive information, especially if it’s regarding corporate secrets. This considered one of the phishing prevention best practices. Should important files fall into the wrong hands, it’ll be that much harder for them to reveal the contents of said files.

MORE : Know Spear Phishing vs Phishing

Get anti-phishing software

Because all it takes for disaster to strike is one misclick, anti-phishing software for all employees is a wise investment. Not only does it block phishing emails from coming through, but it also has real-time detection.

This means that whenever you click on a link, it’ll bounce you off immediately if it’s spotted as a malicious URL.

Anti-phishing software is also a great thing to couple with your antivirus program. For whatever the antivirus doesn’t detect, you’ll have extra protection in place to stop cybercriminals in their tracks.

Spear phishing prevention for your organization

With the proper education and practices, you and your employees can safeguard essential company information.

By being proactive in spear phishing prevention, you’ll save your business from catastrophe.

You may also want to consider pairing all the above tips and spear phishing examples with security training, so everyone can become more adept at recognizing phishing attempts.

MORE : Difference Between Phishing and Spear Phishing

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