At Sawyer Solutions, we’ve seen plenty of Birmingham businesses get caught in the net of cyberattacks. And while we’d all love to believe we’re too savvy to fall for these schemes, cybercriminals are getting sneakier by the day. They’re imitating big brands like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and more, using legit-looking logos, brand colors, and alarming messages about locked accounts or suspicious activity to trick people into clicking malicious links or handing over credentials.
On average, businesses are hit with 1,185 phishing attacks every month. That’s nearly 40 attacks a day! And here’s the kicker: 74% of these attacks succeed in the U.S., according to Expert Insights.
But you don’t have to be part of that statistic! We’ve put together four simple tips to help you stop phishing attacks in their tracks and keep your business safe.
1. Beef Up Your Email Security
One of the easiest ways to prevent phishing attacks is by using email security filters. These filters scan emails for malicious content and block bad emails before they ever reach your inbox, while letting the good ones through. Some even use AI and machine learning to monitor for suspicious activity and keep an eye on inbound, outbound, and internal emails. You can deploy these filters as a cloud service or an on-premises app, making them flexible enough for any setup.
2. Train Your Team to Be Cybersecurity Ninjas
Your employees can be your first line of defense — or your biggest vulnerability. But with a little cybersecurity training, they can become phishing prevention pros. According to the KnowBe4 Phishing by Industry report, businesses saw an 87% improvement in catching phishing attempts after just one year of training. The more your team knows, the better they’ll be at spotting suspicious emails and reporting them before they cause any damage.
3. Back Up Your Data (And Test It!)
Did you know that 75% of cyberattacks targeting U.S. businesses succeed? And one in five of those is a phishing attack. The best defense? Backups, backups, backups. Keeping frequent backups in multiple locations means that even if an attack gets through, you can recover quickly without major downtime or brand damage. Just be sure to test those backups often to make sure they’re ready when you need them!
4. Partner with a Managed IT Provider
If you want to take your security to the next level, partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) could be the answer. An MSP can set up advanced security tools like Secure Email Gateways (SEG) and Post-Delivery Protection (PDP) to keep phishing threats at bay. They also stay up to date on the latest phishing trends and can implement a comprehensive security strategy to keep your data safe. Outsourcing your IT security means you can focus on running your business while your MSP handles the cyber threats.
Take Control of Your Cybersecurity with Sawyer Solutions
Cyber risks are only as strong as your security measures. And while the idea of a phishing attack might be scary, the good news is that Sawyer Solutions has your back 24/7. Reach out to us today and take back control of your business security!
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