Email scams – commonly known as phishing – are still a very real threat that both individuals and businesses alike face. In order to protect yourself properly against them, you need to be aware of the risk you face and take appropriate action. Bearing this in mind, here are a few tips and tricks for protecting against email scams.
Stay Updated on the Latest Techniques
Email attacks have been around for decades now, but hackers are always looking for new ways that they can target vulnerable people and businesses. For some more expert advice on phishing, take a look at Proofpoint. The news is usually good at reporting on the latest scams as they are occurring. A lot of the time, hackers are trying to impersonate other trusted people or entities, so make extra sure that the person emailing you is who they say they are, and don’t hand out personal information at the drop of a hat.
Don’t Click Before You’re Sure
Often, phishing emails will encourage you to click on a particular link, which may take you through to a copied version of an existing site or a place where malware can end up being downloaded onto your computer. If you are unsure, rather than clicking through the link you get in the email, type in the name of the site that you want to go to in a search engine. This way, you can make doubly sure that you are going to the correct place.
Update Your Spam Filter
Your email spam filter can help to prevent you from seeing a lot of these phishing emails in the first place, so it is worth choosing an email provider that has a strong reputation for protecting against attacks of this kind. You can also give it a helping hand by manually marking emails as spam whenever you see something that doesn’t look quite right.
Use a Trusted Firewall and Antivirus Provider
A firewall is one of the most valuable pieces of software that can keep you protected against outside intruders and threats of various description. A desktop firewall and a network firewall are the two different types that you can use. Often, a reputable antivirus software will keep you from visiting a certain suspicious website even if you have clicked on it by accident, so you have that extra layer of protection here.
Double Check Your Online Accounts
People have so many online accounts these days that it is very easy to lose track if you are not careful. However, if you leave them dormant for too long, there is every chance that somebody could be up to all sorts of mischief on them. If you have an account for a product or service that you no longer need, it is worth closing down that account for added peace of mind.
Protecting against email scams can be done through several different methods but putting in place the steps above will go a long way to start off with.
