Cybersecurity Awareness: Surviving an Email Phishing Crisis

Email phishing crimes are big business. Billions of dollars are harvested from unsuspecting businesses each year, and the numbers have been steadily increasing for the past decade. In fact, since 2015, the FBI alone has tracked more than $10 billion in losses due to cybercrime.¹

Perhaps these dollar figures aren’t disturbing enough, or maybe the threats feel too distant. Either way, in spite of the escalating losses, 77% of all organizations are still reportedly operating with limited cybersecurity protection.² Why? It’s hard to say. Some may be taking a wait-and-see approach, relying on the fact that they have not yet experienced a large-scale phishing attack. Others could be under the impression that investing in email security service/software is an expense they can’t afford. In both cases, they are running a risk from which they might never recover.

To provide a little more perspective, scammers and attackers send out 6.4 billion fake emails every day.² That’s a lot of risk. So, how should you go about managing your company’s cybersecurity and email phishing readiness? There are two key ingredients to consider – awareness and technology.

Technology is the main driver in keeping cybercriminals at bay, but before you can make any decisions with technology, you have to educate yourself on the many types of email phishing attacks and the companies designed to combat them. Then, you’ll need to keep your employees in the know – providing an awareness that can help prevent someone from inadvertently falling for a phishing scheme that could have lasting effects on your business. To help, here are a few awareness and technology Do’s and Don’ts to better position you for an email phishing crisis.

• DO let your employees known that cybersecurity is a top company priority. It’s also a group effort and everyone has a role to play.
• DON’T rely on spam and malware filters, thinking they are enough to keep your company safe from email phishing attacks. More than 75% of large companies think their pre-installed anti-virus software is enough, but it’s not.³
• DON’T assume employees know how to recognize all types of phishing threats.
• DO ensure you have a training mechanism in place that regularly educates employees about different types of phishing threats.
• DO the research necessary to select the best third-party email phishing prevention vendor. Phishing solutions, like INKY, should integrate easily with your email platform, get smarter as phishing threats become more complex, provide robust reporting, and offer training opportunities for your staff.
• DO have confidence in the email phishing software you deploy. If you’ve made the right choice you can rest assured your cybersecurity is in a good place.

We all know than email phishing crises are a very real possibility. And while it may be easy to push the thought of email phishing security off for another day, week, or month, every day you spend exposed is a day you could live to regret for years to come.

Learn more about email phishing awareness and the technologies that can protect your company now and, in the future. Read INKY’s 2020 Email Fraud Guide or, if you’d like to see the top email phishing technology in action, schedule a free INKY demonstration.

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INKY® is the emerging hero in the war against phishing. An award-winning cloud-based email security solution, INKY® prevents the most complex phishing threats from disrupting or even immobilizing your company’s day-to-day business operations. Using computer vision, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, INKY® is the smartest investment you can make in the security of your organization. INKY® is a proud winner of the NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge and finalist in the 2020 RSAC Innovation Sandbox Competition. Learn more about INKY® or request an online demonstration today.

¹Source: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/the-fbis-internet-crime-complaint-center-ic3-marks-its-20th-year

²Source: https://www.ey.com/en_us/consulting/global-information-security-survey-2018-2019

³Source: https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/cybersecurity-cyber-crime-statistics-facts-trends/