Summer is often seen as the most relaxed season of the year. In fact, according to one survey, 85% of Americans are planning to travel this season and nearly half plan to spend at least two weeks on vacation.1 Sounds heavenly, right? Well, if you really want to unwind this season, your summer checklist is going to need to include one very untraditional item…the right email security platform. The reason is simple. While we take time to kick back a little this time of year, cybercrime goes into overdrive.
The Phish Are Really Going to Be Biting!
Here are a few popular phishing schemes you should be looking out for during the summer season.
Vacation Impersonation: You might want to wait until you’re back in the office before you post your vacation plans on social media. Phishers are circling the waters looking for opportunities to impersonate company management. With the executive’s name, title, and email in hand, cybercriminals can convince someone with financial authority in the office to help with an important deal they are making while on vacation, or assist with an invoice that needs to be paid. The results can be staggering. In 2021, nearly $2.4 billion was lost in Business Email Compromise (BEC) / Email Account Compromise (EAC) scams and more than $142 million was stolen in government impersonation crimes.2
Left Behind: If there is one action that can leave the whole company in a vulnerable state, it’s losing your work device while on vacation. When the right computer falls into the wrong hands, the entire company and its client base could be left vulnerable to identity theft, data breaches, credit card fraud, extortion, and more. Consider these statistics:3
- 56% of Americans say they bring their work devices on vacation “always or most of the time”.
- Executives and interns have the highest rate of lost devices
State Tax Phishing Emails: For many taxpayers, 2021 state payments were delayed until July 15th, giving hackers extra time to create some cleverly disguised phishing emails. Businesses should be aware of fraudulent tax transcript emails from phishers impersonating the IRS. The documents attached contain malware. Other scams involve impersonating HR and payroll management in order to get W-2 information and attempts to steal tax preparers' identities in order to file fraudulent returns.4
(Phishing) School is in Session: If you’re in the field of academia, you might be aware that universities have been targeted by cybercriminals for the past few years.
The FBI shared this example in a recent alert:5
“…cyber actors continue to conduct attacks against US colleges and universities leading to the exposure of user information on public and cybercriminal forums. Credential harvesting against an organization is often a byproduct of spear-phishing, ransomware, or other cyber intrusion tactics. For example, in 2017, cybercriminals targeted universities to hack .edu accounts by cloning university login pages and embedding a credential harvester link in phishing emails. Successfully harvested credentials were then sent to the cyber criminals in an automated email from their servers.”2
Vacation Phishing Scam: Everyone loves a summer vacation…especially cybercriminals. If you used a third party to book your trip, be advised that one summertime phishing scam involves fraudulent emails in which the scammer is posing as your vacation company. In many instances, they are poised to capture your financial information. Other times, attachments you believe have to do with your trip can lead to malware being downloaded. Since work emails are often used for personal reasons too, this can be a major headache for businesses.
Befriend an Octopus This Summer
If the summer is going to be full of phish, the best advice you can get is to make INKY your friend.
INKY is the behavioral email security platform that blocks threats, prevents data leaks, and coaches users to make smart decisions. It doesn’t matter if your employees are in the office, on the road, or enjoying a vacation, INKY takes the responsibility of recognizing phishing scams away from employees and IT departments, all year long.
Like a security coach or cyber lifeguard, INKY signals suspicious behaviors using interactive banners that guide users to take safe action on any device or email client. IT teams don’t face the burden of filtering every email themselves or maintaining multiple systems. Through powerful technology and intuitive user engagement, INKY keeps bad actors out for good. Cost-effective and powerful, INKY keeps your company safe from phishing disasters, whether they’re on inbound, outbound, or even internal emails.
Relax this summer…once you have INKY in place, that is. Schedule your free demonstration today.
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INKY is an award-winning, behavioral email security platform that blocks phishing threats, prevents data leaks, and coaches users to make smart decisions. Like a cybersecurity coach, INKY signals suspicious behaviors with interactive email banners that guide users to take safe action on any device or email client. IT teams don’t face the burden of filtering every email themselves or maintaining multiple systems. Through powerful technology and intuitive user engagement, INKY keeps phishers out for good. Learn why so many companies trust the security of their email to INKY. Request an online demonstration today.
2Source: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2022/220526.pdf
4Source: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-scams-consumer-alerts