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Phishing Awareness Isn’t Just an Email Problem

July 07, 2020
phishing awareness represented by a lady with a cellphone showing a suspicious message

Increase Phishing Awareness to Increase Defense Against Other Phishing Threats

When you think about phishing awareness, you’re probably thinking about email. Phishing attacks typically arrive in the form of attachments, PDFs, links, and other vehicles powered by email. But not all phishing is done through email. Phishing can also be attempted through messaging, and that’s just as dangerous for your systems and data.  

We’ve covered spear phishing and whaling as offshoots of phishing, but there’s another variety to consider – phishing through SMS texts and messaging apps. Commonly called “smishing”, phishing through SMS text is less suspicious to many users but can still pack the same punch as a phishing email. The newer variant, phishing through messaging apps in platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, is a similar style of phishing attack just dressed up differently. 

Attacks That Land on Your Devices Land on Your Systems

Although none of these scams involve email in your systems, they can still bring threats to your doorstep. Many staffers use work devices to access social media or communications applications. If they get taken in by a phishing attempt through messaging or text, that can provide bad actors with a back door into your systems the next time that worker logs in. As the line between work use and home use continues to blur, especially in “Bring Your Own Device” environments, a worker falling for a phishing scam through a messaging app or SMS text can be just as damaging as a worker falling for a phishing scam via email.  

Phishing is the biggest threat to your systems and data. Learn more about how to defend against it and increase your staff’s phishing resistance in our eBook “One Phish, Two Phish” GET IT NOW>>

The risk of phishing attacks is only rising, especially when supporting a remote workforce. Devices connecting to networks outside the office will not have the benefit of the protection provided by a secure in-office network to prevent cybercriminals from slipping in. How can businesses protect themselves from the risk of intrusion or breach that starts with a phishing attempt through an SMS text or messaging app? Through thorough phishing resistance training and testing.  

Greater Phishing Awareness Leads to Greater Phishing Resistance Everywhere

Using a training and testing solution like BullPhish ID makes employees more aware of any kind of phishing attempt. BullPhish ID uses engaging video and easy-to-understand training materials to create awareness and increase resistance of phishing. By demonstrating the wide variety of ways that bad actors will attempt a phishing attack through email, your staffers grow more aware of phishing in general – and more likely to report suspicious activity. 

 See a 10-minute technical demonstration video of BullPhish ID 

Phishing is shaping up to be the top security menace of 2020, and the best defense against it is an alert, well-trained staff. To learn more about adding BullPhish ID to your security stack to enlist your employees into the fight against ransomware, data loss, and other cybersecurity disasters predicated by phishing, contact ID Agent today.