February Tech Tip

4 Reasons Phishing Is Getting More Frequent

Phishing is a social engineering attack used to obtain sensitive information, such as login credentials and payment details, from users. It happens when an attacker, posing as a trusted source, dupes a victim into clicking on a malicious link or downloading a spam file sent over email, text messages, phone calls or social media. If you fall into this trap, you could end up with malware, system slowdowns and sensitive data loss, and unauthorized access to Office 365 among other things.

1. Remote/Hybrid Workforce– Over the last year and a half, a significant number of organizations had to transition to remote/hybrid work models. While the switch allowed operations to continue without interruption, the scattered workforce and mobile endpoints brought their own set of challenges. One of the main problems was vulnerabilities becoming more visible to hackers, who quickly exploited them through phishing attacks.
2. Organizational Oversights– Many businesses, in efforts to stay afloat amid the global crisis, completely disregarded cybersecurity. This included decreased spending on security posture, a lack of employee training and much more. Such mistakes opened the door for cybercriminals.
3. Constantly Evolving Cybercriminals– Keep in mind that hackers constantly strive to uncover and exploit even the tiniest flaws in your business. They’re constantly shifting their strategy, so you’re practically defending against a moving attacker. Threat actors have recently targeted businesses via the website contact form, pretending to be legal authorities, saying that the company is not complying with the law and asking the organization to download a “report.”
4. Cheap Phishing Tools– Several low-cost phishing tools are available on the dark web, allowing even non-technical people to become hackers.

A timely technology refresh could act as an energy boost for your company, enabling it to be more resilient. You could begin your IT infrastructure refresh journey with a partner like us. Knowing that the process is in expert hands gives you peace of mind and allows you to focus on building your business. Get in touch with us today at (916) 696-7219.