Social engineering is considered as one of the greatest security threats facing organisations today. Cyber criminals are manipulating individuals into handing out confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes.
A lot of security in businesses comes down to employees knowing who and what to trust. Humans are an easy target for cyber criminals to steal data rather than attempting to hack any kind of software, which has become more robust in recent years. Which is why it is so important for employees to stay vigilant and question anything they deem as suspicious.
As said by security professionals’ multiple times; even if you have the most up to date software in place, the security in your business is really only as strong as the weakest link in your security chain. Humans.
TYPES OF SOCIAL ENGINEERING ATTACKS
PHISHING
Phishing is one of the most common types of social engineering attacks. These attacks can be done in numerous ways through email, text and even social media!
The goal is to trick the victim in to giving confidential information because they believe the instructions to have come from a credible source e.g. a manager, supplier or recognisable brand.
Instead, they hand over confidential information to pesky cyber-criminals.
BAITING
Baiting works by tricking the victim into giving personal information or installing malware on their device in return for something of value.
An example of this may be an attacker leaving a USB stick on the side labelled with something that might draw the attention of an employee e.g. bonus structure or staff wages.
If the employee falls for it and plugs it into a device the USB will then start to download malware on to the device corrupting their files.
PRETEXTING
This type of social engineering attack involves a cyber criminal acting as a trusted source to gather information about the victim that they can use to their advantage.
An example of this could be someone posing as your bank asking a series of questions to find out your account details but instead, you hand over valuable information to an attacker.
And they now have instant access to your accounts and can withdraw funds.
Ways you can prevent…
CYBSAFE
Cybsafe tackles the human problem in your organisation’s security. This platform trains staff to give them the knowledge and confidence to be able to detect cyber threats and stop them from becoming a problem.
In comparison to regular cyber security training, Cybsafe constantly adapts their simulations to ensure they are up to date with the current threat landscape. So you can be sure you’re training staff accordingly.
As the Cybsafe platform is cloud-based it can be easily accessed by anyone, in any organisation. Making it a reliable, useful solution for all.
DATTO SIRIS
If an employee falls victim to a cyber-attack, you can rest-assured you have the best protection against data loss to your business with Datto SIRIS.
SIRIS is a reliable all in one disaster recovery solution that can get your business back up and running in no time if you experience a cyber-attack.
SOPHOS ANTI VIRUS SOFTWARE TO ENDPOINT PROTECTION SOFTWARE
Investing in robust antivirus software such as Sophos Intercept X is vital in protecting your network. This endpoint protection protects devices in your organisation including laptops, smartphones, and computers from cyber threats such as malware and ransomware.
This means if you are to experience a social engineering attack such as phishing, Sophos Intercept X will stop any malware threat from corrupting your files and compromising your data. Try Sophos Intercept X free today by clicking the link below.
SOPHOS EMAIL SECURITY
Have trust in your inbox with Sophos Email Security. This means you can now be protected against the most common types of phishing attacks. Sophos Email works by scanning any attachments for sensitive data and blocking known malicious email addresses from entering your inbox, stopping phishing criminals from getting anywhere near your staff.
CISCO UMBRELLA
Cisco Umbrella works to give you the first line of defence against cyber threats. Its clever technology blocks threats such as phishing and malware from reaching your network or endpoints. Giving you better peace of mind that your employees are in safe hands. If you are intersted in trying out Cisco umbrella then sign up for a free trial today so you can see the benefits.
CYBER ESSENTIALS PLUS ACCREDITATION
Any organisation that handles personal information, or the provision of certain ICT products and services should think about gaining the Cyber Essentials Certification.
This shows that your organisation is trusted and secure when it comes to cyber security. Plus, it gives you clear guidelines on what you can do to prevent cyber attacks.
As a leader in the industry, we can help organisations to achieve this certification which tests how robust your cyber security is by performing a series of penetration tests.
Gaining this certification is a good way to showcase to clients and other organisations that you are secure and take your cyber security seriously.
register for free advice & free set-up
All of these solutions can be tailored to meet your needs and we can be flexible on how we get them up and running so that there is little to no impact on employees or clients. We understand this is a worrying time and ultimately, we want to make sure that you are well supported so you can continue to operate as you normally would.
Get in touch to see if we can help. If we can – we will. Call us on 0333 150 6780, email us on or fill out the contact form below and a member of the team will be in touch.
Recent Comments