1. Watch out for emails from brands you trust. Brand impersonation: it’s messages from tech companies that you need to be wary of. And delivery firms. Based on recent findings from Checkpoint and Proofpoint, scam emails in recent times have most frequently used the name of Microsoft, Amazon, LinkedIn, Google, DHL and Paypal.
2. A supplier wants you to pay a new bank account? Double-check first! Make sure you check – by phone – when someone asks you to change their bank details. Verizon have found that over half of the attacks from compromised email accounts took this form. A simple but unexpected message from someone you trust, might just mean that they’ve been hacked.
3. QR codes are coll again – but criminals are exploiting our trust in QR codes. QR codes are just weblinks, in a digital format. And you don’t always trust links, do you? This month we’ve seen emails which ask you to authenticate accounts by scanning a code. The site it takes you to will request your credentials but won’t be genuine.
4. Trying to save time with an online template or contract? Be careful if you’re looking for templates, contracts and agreements online. Cybercriminals know that they’ll be accessed by a business audience and will go to some lengths to get to the top of a search ranking and offer you free content. The files you download – especially if in a zip file – may contain more than word documents. Avoid using online templates and don’t download any files.
For more free support and advice, join the growing business community who are already members. www.swcrc.co.uk
