Emails are vulnerable in times of stress

A report sent to me this week from one of our suppliers has stated that 90% of all cyber attacks start with an email (*Source PhishMe (2016))

This uncomfortable fact is increased when a major disaster or news story takes hold as Phishing bad guys play on human emotions, like fear, urgency and sheer panic.

These emotions are running high in today’s world which then coupled with misinformation and fake news, mean that people are already falling foul of scammers.

Warn your staff and friends to firstly, watch for any emails which play on emotion using emotive language, or urgency, secondly anything which requires any login, credentials or personal information.  Ensure that emails do not use unfamiliar greetings, or uses a strange  email address and contains spelling or grammar errors – even if it looks like it comes from someone you know, or think you have heard from before, you simply must not click on it without checking first.

Using non-company owned equipment

With so many business users choosing to work on non company owned equipment, which has been used by other family members, without anti-virus protection, probably not been updated with security patches & has strange and unknown non business software installed – their data is without doubt at risk, so increased vigilance is really important.

The ICO have issued some advice on their website which I have included below;

More of our staff will be homeworking during the pandemic. What kind of security measures should my organisation have in place for homeworking during this period?

Data protection is not a barrier to increased and different types of homeworking. During the pandemic, staff may work from home more frequently than usual and they can use their own device or communications equipment. Data protection law doesn’t prevent that, but you’ll need to consider the same kinds of security measures for homeworking that you’d use in normal circumstances.

Whatsapp and Texts

Its worth a mention that Whatsapp and text messages are circulating with fake news on things like free Netflix, fake medical advice on how to cure COVID-19, utility service suspensions and other similar scams in the main, my rules are to delete anything which is not from the BBC and never to forward any message that looks like a circular or chain letter.

If you have any doubts or problems, please call our IT Support Desk on 01227 371375

#StaySafe