Over the last couple months, it seems like my inbox has had more than its fair share of junk and spam mail. You know the type of messages I’m talking about: certain prescriptions available for ridiculously low prices; highly successful businessmen from far-away lands telling me they have a lucrative business deal just for me.
Please, people. Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck yesterday? Besides, if I have any free time to peruse messages, I’d much rather read the “I’m so busy I can hardly stand it” status updates on Facebook, just for the sheer irony. If these people are so busy, how do they have so much time to constantly update their Facebook status? I digress; that’s a topic for another time.
Anyway, I was just about to zap a message the other day when I realized it was from my bank—or was it. It looked legit, but something just didn’t seem right. And so I did a little digging. Since someone actually answers the phone when I call my bank, I dialed the digits. Nope; they hadn’t sent out any messages regarding “confirm your account information” like the email in question instructed.
Hmmmm. What was going on here? Turns out, I learned, I had received a phishing email.
A what? A phishing email. The hacksters behind the messages “phish” for sensitive info (think passwords, account numbers, credit card numbers, etc.) via email messages or social networking messages. Then they take that info to steal your identity.
Now that’s nasty. I did a little more homework. (There’s an Anti-Phishing Working Group…who knew?) Unfortunately these “phishermen” know what they’re doing, and they know who to target: small business owners (that’s me!) suffer identify fraud at one and a half times the rate of other adults. Why? Well, typically many small business owners use personal accounts when making business transactions and make more transactions than typical adults (yikes…that’s me, too!).
Okay, so I need to stop using my personal account when making business purchases. Check. I knew there must be more I could do to protect myself—and my business and my clients—from phishing, so I continued to dig. And then I hit the jackpot and found this Phishing Protection Checklist. Take the time to check it out. It’s got great tips on how to avoid getting hooked by phishers.
To view a webinar on Phishing click here.
Kate Mund is the lead writer for Lucy Communications in DeLamere, North Dakota (located a relaxing one-hour drive from Fargo, North Dakota). Lucy Communications specializes in advertising, marketing and business communications.
Tags: phishing, security, small business, spear phishing, Technology