What are the Most Common Phishing Scams?

If you have an email account for either work or personal use, you probably already know a little about online phishing. Nearly everyone who uses the Internet has encountered some kind of scam that had malicious intentions.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of ways to counter common phishing scams, but for businesses, companies and organizations, the problem is usually more complicated. There are solutions, of course, but the issue starts with identifying what a phishing attack really is.

So, let’s delve a little deeper. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common phishing scams, including tactics to counter them with the help of an IT consultant who provides IT support services.

How Phishing Affects Companies

Deception is the core of all common phishing scams. On an individual level, phishing can involve spam emails, fraudulent links, fake websites, and so on. To understand the gravity of what we are talking about, take a look at this statistic: Phishing was at the top of the 2020 Incident Crime Report by the FBI at a staggering 241,342 victims! This is more that double what the second reported crime type, Non-Payment/Non-Delivery at 108,869 victims.  Phishing is rampant!

Nowadays, these attacks are also becoming more prevalent in targeting companies, which is why opting for IT services should be the norm. Otherwise, it can lead to a bigger problem, compromising the security and integrity of the whole company. With just one click, your private information can be exposed to cybercriminals to use for their personal gain.

When Phishing Becomes a Major Threat

Another common tactic that can occur is called “spear” fishing. These phishing scams target employees by luring them to click on dangerous links contained in cloud services.

These tactics are often difficult to detect by an average employee. This is why it’s important to become aware of the concept of cybersecurity, and work with an IT expert who knows how to handle security threats.

Other cybercriminals aim to target CEOs, high-ranking managers, and other professionals with greater access inside a business. The logic in these scams is simple—a successful attack on a top-tier employee can result in far more useful information, which can then be used to compromise the entire company.

One of the most disturbing trends in these common phishing scams is that they’re branching out and becoming more sophisticated. Criminals can now hijack company web servers, spoof public Wi-Fi access points, and even install malware on a computer network. Keep in mind that the damage can be extensive. Common phishing scams can cost both individuals and companies up to millions of dollars a year, depending on the severity of the cyberattack. Some criminals will even encrypt files in an attempt to hold them for ransom.

Best Most Common Phishing Scams Protection

At a corporate level, the best way to defend your company against cyberattacks starts with understanding and applying cybersecurity practices. This will help employees and managers to spot phishing attacks and protect the company from cybercriminals.

Hire an IT Consultant

To add an extra layer of protection, IT service companies use advanced technology to combat common phishing scams and more. Hiring the right company is a worthwhile investment. 1+1 Technology is here to keep you safe and secure your data. Our cyber security solutions and services have already helped many companies, and we look forward to helping more! Get in touch at 925.406.3881 to get started.