It can never be said enough that keeping your business safe from cyberattacks and outside threats is necessary in this business climate. Keeping up with all the latest threats can be difficult, and make sure your employees stay up-to-date can be even more problematic. Today we want to talk about a new tactic cybercriminals are using to gain access to your company’s vital information: invoice impersonation. With this information, you’ll be able to train your employees to spot attacks and act on them accordingly.
Invoice Impersonation
Every business should make sure their employees go through regular security training to be aware of how to react to attacks and just stay refreshed on the landscape of cybersecurity. But with cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated, attacks are becoming more difficult to spot and respond to. Cybercriminals have begun hitting employees using invoice impersonation. This tactic sends an employee an email that appears to come from a trusted source with a link to an online invoice. The recipient can then download the invoice through the link.
Like attacks similar to this, the link doesn’t download an invoice, but instead a piece of malware. This is a standard way in which cybercriminals spread ransomware. The goal is to catch the employee off-guard and bypass common sense to click the link. When someone gets an invoice they weren’t expecting; they tend to want to see what the charges are for. Learn about the numbers behind email fraud.
Warning Signs
Nobody wants to be the person tricked by an invoice impersonation attack, or a similar phishing email. Training is the best route to be aware of warning signs and how to properly respond to the attacks.
A message demanding payment is one of the popular ways cybercriminals take advantage of email. Included in the invoice impersonation attack is a link make the payment process more convenient. The impersonality of emails makes the user put a certain amount of trust that the sender is authentic. A user would have an easier time noticing a voice over a phone call or handwriting on a piece of paper. Words typed out on a computer screen does not indicate who sent it, making it simpler to falsify a message.
A link in an email that demands payment is most likely a link to a ransomware program. Always use caution when clicking a link from an unverified source. Click here for more information on how to protect yourself against ransomware.
Securing Your Business
Invoice impersonation and other phishing attacks rely on the recipient trusting the authenticity of the email. You can take this opportunity to get your employees in the mindset of questioning every email. This means to always scrutinize an email to make sure it is from the person it says it’s from. Employees should also attend training sessions about cybersecurity whenever they are offered.
It’s not just your employee’s responsibility to protect your business from threats. You need to make sure you have the proper network security tools, like spam filters and malware blockers, in place to prevent further damage. The fewer emails that make it to an employee’s inbox, mean fewer attacks on your network could occur.
If you’re looking for enterprise-level network security protection, then look no further than IT Support Guys. We offer the best in network security solutions, software, and all your other IT needs. Click here to learn more about IT Support Guys’ network security solutions or talk with a specialist at 855-4IT-GUYS (855-448-4897).
