5 Types of Phishing Scams and How To Protect Against Them

Phishing scams come in different forms. They do not just use different online methods like pop up ads and fake emails but could also include phone calls. The individuals behind such scams tend to employ fear tactics to force their victims to take the bait.

Phishing can be considered as an online con game. Phishers, or people who run this scam, are tech savvy identity thieves and con artists. They use malicious websites, spam, instant messages, and email messages to trick individuals into giving out sensitive information. Credit card accounts, banking information, passwords, and usernames are just a few of the details that phishers are looking to exploit.

5 Common Phishing Scams and How To Avoid Them

Phishing scams are made to appear as though they come from dependable sources, it’s smart to know the difference between fraudulent and real messages and how to identify a few clues that the message could be a scam. Here’s a list of the five type of phishing scams and how you can avoid them.

Email Phishing Scams

Email phishing scams are fraudulent emails that look like a company or person that’s known to the victim. It tries to illegally accumulate personal or/and financial details from the recipient.

A phishing Florence SC message generally includes at least a single link to a fraudulent website, which is designed to replicate the website of a legitimate business. The message encourages the recipient to give out information that could be used for online financial theft or identity fraud.

Avoiding email phishing scams

• Don’t download attachments or click on links from an unfamiliar email.
• Pay attention and always be vigilant.
• Double check the URL for misspelled web address.

Vishing Scams

Voice or VOIP phishing is just like email phishing but scam involves voice, instead. It’s a phone scam wherein a person is scared or tricked into giving out personal information or valuable financial details to scammers.

Avoiding vishing scams

• Don’t give personal or any confidential information over the phone.
• Don’t call the number the caller provides. Instead, check the company website and make sure that they are running a legitimate business.
• Watch out for misspellings or other red flags.

Tech Support Cold Scams

Scammers call their targets and pretend to be from a well known security company. They will lie and tell you that they detected malware on your computer. They will pretend to give you a solution by asking you to allow them to install a certain kind of remote desktop software. This will let the attacker gain access to your computer to install real malware. Apart from trying to install software on the computer, they will also ask for a fee for the repair service.

Avoiding tech support call scams

• Look up the number of the company that the tech support agent is claiming to be working for.
• Don’t allow remote access to your computer.

Popup Warning Scams

Popups come up when someone is browsing the web and notices a small ad or graphic appear on their screen. Generally, these popups are related to the content that you are viewing and link to a different website with a similar merchandise or content that is related to the content.

Malicious popups could be intrusive, which will make it hard for you to close the ad or graphic. They might show a message that states that the computer is infected with malware and provide a phone number for help with getting rid of the malware. Generally, the cybercriminals create popups appear like they originate from a reliable source in hopes that they will look like a legitimate company.

Avoiding popup scams

• Check the message closely.
• Don’t click on the pop-up.

Fake Search Results Scams

Fraudulent firms tend to use paid search ads for what they refer to as support services to make it look like they are a legitimate and reputable company. These listings may appear on top of a search results page, which is a prime location. The results look like it’s real and they will promise to provide support and deals that are too good to be true. This is one of the common ways they use to trick people into allowing them to “fix” their computer. But when you click on the ad, you end up downloading a malware to your device, which will compromise your computer security.

Avoiding fake search result scams

• Check the url closely.
• Use a secure search service.

What to do if you have been scammed?

If you think that you have been a victim of a phishing scam, here are the things you can do:

• Change the passwords of your accounts.
• Scan for viruses on your computer by running a full system scan.
• Call your bank and report that you may have been a victim of a phishing scam.
• Use a reliable anti-virus program.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. and let our team assess your email security. We also have a range of IT solutions to help boost your cybersecurity.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Make Your Employees The Frontline of Cyber Defense

Let us provide you a full picture of your company’s security posture and potential risk, so the employees who were the weakest link in your defense can become its strongest point of protection.

CYBER-ATTACKS ARE ON THE RISE

Because employees are the core of any business, they will be the main target for cyber criminals. Making sure your people stay up-to-date with cyber security knowledge, and teaching them to recognize threats, is imperative to the security of your business. The threat landscape is constantly evolving, and so should your approach to defense.

TRAIN AND PHISH!

Trained and aware employees are critical to securing an organization, and an effective, ongoing internal security awareness program can help reduce your company’s vulnerability, turning the “weakest link” in your cyber defenses into its greatest strength.

Security awareness training and phishing simulations go hand in hand. Phishing has become very sophisticated and almost undetectable, as criminals have found ways to make their emails as realistic as possible. Phishing simulations test employees on how they would respond to a real-life phishing attack. We can send these mock attacks at staggered times, avoiding the “prairie dog effect” where employees warn one another of the email, for the best measurement of all employees’ awareness. We’ll track which employees have clicked on a phishing email, who has given away their password and who has ignored the email.


Once a learning gap is detected, we’ll deliver interactive educational videos to the most susceptible users. These easy-to-understand, short and visually engaging training videos include an online quiz to verify the employee’s retention of the training content. Training can be delivered regularly, to reinforce the importance of every employee’s role in protecting your business.

SpartanTec, Inc.
 Florence, SC 29501 
843-396-8762 
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Ultimate Cybersecurity Guide For Remote Workers

There are alarms and locks for securing physical valuables. But what should you use for cybersecurity? A lot of people are confused when it comes to this topic. Well, that’s not surprising because terms commonly used in this industry, like VPN, DDoS attack, and ransomware, are quite difficult to understand. Below is the ultimate guide to cybersecurity that you need to know.

Cybersecurity is now an important part of the digital landscape. Every day, the number of threats online has multiplied and has become a dangerous network. Given the continuing increase in cyber-attacks and data breaches, businesses and remote workers need to know how to protect their data, devices, and network. Businesses aren’t the only ones that are at risk. Anybody can be a victim of cyber attacks.

Common Types of Cyberattacks

Phishing – most common cyber-attack because of its easy implementation. It may involve messages using any platform from gaming forums to social media. Phishing can be a general scam or targeted to certain individuals.

Malware – any kind of software that gets into a network or device. It is a malicious software that looks like a legitimate program.

Brute force attacks – hackers try to guess the login credentials of their victims. It is an automated process and commonly involves weak or popular passwords. This kind of attack can also use credentials that were stolen during a data breach.

Eavesdropping attacks – hackers intercept data that goes through a network connection by eavesdropping. They listen in and then steal confidential information like passwords, credit card details, as well as other personal data.

Cybersecurity In The Workplace

You have to do your part even if you are working for a company that already has an IT department. The latter can only do so much when it comes to keeping the systems and network of the business safe. Moreover, they don’t have full control over what employees do when they’re online. Here are a few cybersecurity tips for businesses.

Employees must be informed not to open or reply to emails that look suspicious. They should download files or click on links from sources they don’t know. They must also use strong passwords on all accounts and devices. Plus, other authentication methods should also be used.

Firewalls must be installed on the devices that take care of crucial work data and these firewalls must be updated regularly. Talk to an IT expert in Florence about security. They’ll be more than willing to give you tips to improve your cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity At Home

Installing locks and surveillance cameras aren’t the only things you need when it comes to security for remote workers. You need to protect your home network as well especially if you have lots of devices connected to the internet.

There are many ways to secure your home devices. These include securing the home network through encryption. VPN is the most affordable and easiest way to do this. Make perfectly sure that you install the service on your home router or on every device that you connect to your network.

You should also install a good firewall program, as it will serve as the first line of defense against online attacks. It will also protect your network by preventing outsiders from making unwanted requests to your network. Don’t forget to install an antivirus software and change the default passwords on all your devices.

SpartanTec, Inc. in Florence for more information on how you can protect your remote workers.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com