Newsroom

December 14, 2022

7 Methods to Prevent Phishing Attacks Organizations are Facing

In a mere two-year window between 2013 and 2015, Google and Facebook were swindled out of a whopping $100 million due to a phishing campaign. During the same period, a breach exposed over 78.8 million healthcare records at Anthem, resulting in a lawsuit totaling approximately $115 million. The common denominator in both these incidents? Spear phishing attacks. Fast forward to today, phishing attacks have not only persisted but have also evolved into one of the most pervasive and menacing cyber threats confronting organizations globally. 

Recent research from IRONSCALES underscores the gravity of the situation, with a staggering 81% of organizations reporting an uptick in phishing attacks since March 2020. Business email compromise (BEC) attempts have spiked by 15% between Q2 and Q3, with one in five malicious data breaches attributed to stolen credentials, as per IBM. 

As alarming as these figures are, the provision of comprehensive phishing awareness training to employees remains a rarity among organizations. Regrettably, there’s no panacea to eradicate this threat. What’s required is a multi-layered approach, encompassing both technical and human-centric solutions. This strategy comprises seven critical measures: 

• Secure Email Gateways (SEGs): These gateways scrutinize inbound and outbound emails for malicious content, blocking or quarantining threats before they reach their intended recipients. 
• Cloud Email Security: Operating within the email network, these solutions monitor communications for malicious content, leveraging AI/ML to identify personalized phishing attempts. 
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA goes beyond usernames and passwords, employing multiple authentication methods for added security. 
• Endpoint Monitoring and Protection: Given the proliferation of personal devices and cloud services, monitoring and swift endpoint remediation are crucial. 
• Security Awareness Training: Comprehensive training platforms and simulated phishing campaigns empower employees to become a formidable defense line against attacks. 
• Anti-Phishing Workshops: Effective for high-risk teams, these workshops can be engaging, incorporating quizzes, challenges, and rewards. 
• Mock Phishing Campaigns: Simulated attacks assess the effectiveness of defense strategies and training programs, ensuring employees remain vigilant. 

The gravity of phishing attacks is undeniable, with Zscaler reporting a 30,000% surge in blocked suspicious threads targeting employees between January and March 2020. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, organizations must keep pace, adapting their cyber-attack awareness and security strategies accordingly. 

You can read more on this from the Express Computer article by Bhavesh Goswami