How to Avoid Phishing: What Your Employees Need to Know

Published on 15 June 2021

At Bluebell IT Solutions, we’re spotlighting phishing, where 56% of UK businesses and 62% of charities suffered a cyber attack in the past 12 months and identified phishing as the cause. It only takes one click on a malicious link for your business to face potential financial loss, reputational damage, or data breaches.

Phishing attacks target individuals, but the ripple effects can impact your entire organisation. Educating your team is one of the best defences against this common cyber threat. Here’s how to empower your employees to spot and avoid phishing scams.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing refers to fraudulent communication, commonly via email but also through SMS, phone calls, or social media. Cybercriminals impersonate legitimate organisations to deceive victims into:

• Clicking malicious links
• Downloading harmful attachments
• Sharing sensitive information like passwords or account details

These scams are getting harder to spot. We’ve laid out a few helpful tips and questions to ask yourself before following any links or instructions from a potential phishing scam

Why Employees Are the First Line of Defence

While firewalls and antivirus software are essential, phishing relies on human error, which no software can fully prevent. That’s why your employees play such a vital role in protecting your business.

Phishing attackers are counting on one thing: someone in your organisation will make a mistake. It could be a single click on a dodgy link or the download of a malicious attachment. Once that happens, the door is open for cybercriminals to access your systems, steal data, or even lock you out of your files.

The consequences can be severe:

• Financial losses: Businesses can lose thousands, if not millions, through fraudulent transactions or ransomware demands.
• Data breaches: Sensitive customer or business data can end up in the wrong hands, leading to fines and damaged trust.
• Reputational damage: News of a cyber breach can erode confidence in your business, potentially costing you clients or customers.

The solution? Education and training. By training your employees to recognise phishing attempts and act cautiously, you can turn them into a powerful shield against cyberattacks.

8 Questions Employees Should Ask Themselves Before Responding to an Email

1. Who is the email from?

Encourage your employees to scrutinise the sender’s email address:

• Is the domain name public (e.g., @gmail.com, @yahoo.com)?
• Are there spelling errors in the domain (e.g., @netfilx.com or @amaazon.com)?

Official company emails should match the company’s domain. If in doubt, your team can use a search engine to verify the sender’s contact details.

2. Is the spelling and grammar correct?

Train your employees to carefully read emails before taking action. Poor spelling, awkward phrasing, and grammatical mistakes are red flags. For instance, a scammer’s email might read: “Make sence does, not?”

While legitimate organisations strive for professionalism, cybercriminals often rely on poorly translated text, leading to obvious errors.

3. Is there a suspicious link or attachment?

Employees should be cautious of links and attachments, especially if the email raises concerns in the previous steps. Teach them to:

• Hover over links on a desktop or press and hold on mobile to preview the URL. Does it match the sender’s claimed website?
• Avoid opening attachments if there’s any doubt about the sender’s legitimacy.

Remind your team that clicking on malicious links or downloading harmful attachments could introduce malware, potentially compromising your business systems.

4. Does the email create a sense of urgency?

Scammers often pressure victims with urgent requests like:

• “Pay this overdue invoice immediately”
• “Your account has been hacked. Click here to recover it now!”

Encourage employees to pause and evaluate the situation. Urgent language can be a deliberate tactic to provoke panic, making people overlook suspicious elements. Review the previous questions before taking any action.

5. Are the pictures and branding professional?

Advise your team to assess the quality of the email’s design:

• Are images blurry or pixelated?
• Do the colours seem off?

Legitimate companies invest in professional branding and high-quality visuals. Poor image quality or inconsistent design can indicate a phishing attempt.

6. Is the request unusual?

Phishing emails often ask for things that seem out of the ordinary, relying on confusion or unfamiliarity to catch victims off guard.

Would your manager email you for confidential passwords or financial data? Think about whether the request makes sense.

If something feels off, don’t respond immediately. Instead, check with your supervisor or directly contact the supposed sender through a known, legitimate channel.

Trust your gut, if a request seems strange, it’s worth investigating.

7. Has this email been flagged by your email provider or security software?

Many modern email systems and security tools are designed to detect phishing attempts before they reach you. If your email provider flags a message as suspicious or your security software issues an alert, don’t ignore it. These tools are your first layer of defence.

8. Have I checked with my supervisor or IT department?

Sometimes, the best way to confirm whether an email is legitimate is to get a second opinion. If you’re unsure about an email, escalate it to your IT department or ask your supervisor for advice.

Encouraging employees to flag questionable messages helps protect not just the individual, but the entire organisation.

Additional Tips to Keep Your Business Safe

Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when reading and responding to emails.

• A company will never ask you to send over sensitive information over email.
• Double check with colleagues if the email is truly from them if you are unsure.
• If your contact information is publicly available, always be on the lookout for phishing scams.
• Always report a suspected phishing email to your supervisor and IT support. You may have picked it up, but another employee may not.
• Send any suspected phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
• Be mindful of what you, your friends and family put out publicly on social media. Cybercriminals use this information to find the best way to target you.

Stay One Step Ahead of Phishing Threats with Bluebell IT

At Bluebell IT, we understand the importance of keeping your business secure in today’s digital world. From advanced email protection tools to tailored employee training programmes, we provide everything you need to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

Whether you’re a small business or a large organisation, we’ll create a cybersecurity strategy that works for you. Our team is here to answer your questions and help you implement the best practices for phishing prevention.

Ready to strengthen your defences? Call us today at 01908044202 to learn more about our services and we can support your business growth. Together, we’ll protect your data, your reputation, and your future.ould like to talk to one of our experts about how you can make your business safer contact us today.