Depending upon whose surveys you examine you’ll find that 80 - 85% of cybersecurity attacks involve a phishing scheme to deliver ransomware. The stats don’t stop there:
- Two-thirds of all companies have experienced a phishing attack during the pandemic.
- 97% of users tested could not identify a sophisticated phishing email, and only 3% actually report one when they do detect it.
- 56% of security specialists believe phishing attacks are their top security threat.
- A single phishing attack costs $1.6 million on average.
What is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is the practice of tricking someone into revealing confidential information that is then used for fraudulent purposes.
Phishing is presently the most common and successful social engineering scheme. It usually involves convincing users to click on a link, open an attachment, or take some other action that allows a thief to infiltrate their PC or network and steal valuables.
Attackers use common forms of bait that can be very sophisticated and difficult to detect as malicious.
Learn to Spot Threats to Stop Attacks
The good news is anyone can learn to spot suspicious threats. Individuals should be trained and periodically reminded how to carefully inspect incoming emails to detect possible phishing frauds.
There are preventative measures that can be followed to prevent almost all attacks happening in today’s threat landscape. Workforce training regarding how to identify phishing messages has proven to be very effective in reducing the number of ransomware and other malware breaches dramatically. Get your team the knowledge they need to spot and stop attacks. Check out our 2.5 hour CyberSmart 101 course. It could be well worth the time.