Cybersecurity Month: Staying Vigilant Against Evolving Threats

October 17, 2024

As the cyber threat landscape evolves, staying vigilant is more important than ever. 🕵️‍♀️⚠️

Each year, the number of cybersecurity incidents increases, with perpetrators becoming increasingly sophisticated. Knowing their common tactics is crucial to preventing potential breaches. One of our strongest defenses against cybercrime is our ability to recognize scams and suspicious activities, as human error is considered to be one of the biggest cyber vulnerabilities.

Here are two common types of cybercrimes to watch out for, along with some key defense tactics:

Phishing and Spoofing

Phishing tops the list of reported internet crimes, as highlighted in the latest FBI IC3 Internet Crime Report. Phishing involves unsolicited emails, texts, or calls from scammers pretending to be legitimate companies, all in an effort to steal your personal, financial, or login information. You likely have received a few of these attempts in the past month!

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

One of the fastest-growing threats is Business Email Compromise (BEC). This scam specifically targets businesses and individuals involved in transactions or money transfers with suppliers. Scammers often pose as trusted contacts, such as a CEO or colleague (we often see e-mails “from” Jeffrey McCannon or “from” a known employee). They then manipulate you into making unauthorized payments or sharing sensitive information.

Defense Tactics Against Cyber Threats

• 🔎 Verify and Fact-Check: Don’t rely solely on information in emails; always double-check details and consider doing your own internet search to confirm legitimacy.
• 🐌 Scrutinize Everything: Pay close attention to email addresses, links, formatting, and spelling in all correspondence.
• 👃 Trust Your Instincts: If something feels or looks off, don’t hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification.
• ⚙️ Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Always enable this feature for sign-ins and only authorize logins you recognize.
• ⏰ Update Passwords Regularly: Keep your passwords fresh and secure.
• 👍 Report Suspicious Emails: Flag any questionable emails to your IT department immediately.

At JeffreyM, cybersecurity is a top priority, and we’re committed to upholding our security policies and our Client security policies. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our IT department. Let’s work together to keep our digital environment safe!