Dec 21, 2017
Guest Author: John Wilson
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Although email phishing scams have been around practically since the inception of the Internet, today’s scams are both more prevalent and more sophisticated. The rising prevalence of email phishing attacks is due in large part to the fact that they’re so successful. In fact, according to numbers published by the Canadian government, the success rates are alarming:
Not that long ago, phishing attempts were quite primitive and often riddled with typos and grammatical errors, so it was easier for consumers to identify when something was amiss. But those days are largely gone. Today’s phishing attempts are increasingly sophisticated, often almost exactly mimicking legitimate emails both in content and source.
Not only is spear phishing increasingly evolved, attacks are also proving to be incredibly costly. According to a report by the Ponemon Institute, the average 10,000-employee company spends $3.7 million a year dealing with phishing attacks.
[Read: Business Email Compromise: Your Latest Achilles Heel]
There are many security measures that organizations can put in place to reduce the effectiveness of malicious phishing emails, including technology designed to identify and block identity deception, the enhanced security of two-factor authentication and keeping employees educated on email best practices.
Here are eight best practices for enhanced email security:
The complexity of today's phishing emails makes it progressively more difficult for email users to distinguish between fraudulent and genuine correspondence highlighting the need for both preventative measures and end-user education. If malicious emails are prevented from reaching an organization's servers in the first place then the threat is neutralized. But those that get through can also be rendered ineffective by users that know what to look for and think before they click.
If your organization is serious about preventing phishing attacks and protecting your customers as well as your brand reputation, you should be taking a two-pronged approach that includes both prevention and education.
To learn more about how your organization can fortify itself against malicious email threats, download our eBook: The Fundamentals of Email Phishing.
John Wilson is the field chief technology officer at Agari, responsible for researching and utilizing the company’s advanced data security insights to drive continuous technology innovation. Prior to Agari, John served as the chief technology officer of Brandmail Solutions, where he developed the world's first authentication-based anti-phishing solution. An esteemed security expert, John is often called upon to assist major organizations in fighting cybercrime.
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