Even the best security software can’t protect you from the headaches you’ll encounter if you click an unsafe link. Unsafe links appear to be shortcuts to funny videos, shocking news stories, awesome deals, or “Like” buttons but are really designed to steal your personal information or hijack your computer. Your friends can unknowingly pass on unsafe links in emails, Facebook posts, and other social media messages. You’ll also encounter unsafe links in website ads and search results. Here are our tips for spotting fake emails, and protecting against them!
How to Spot a Fake Email
I’ve made a rule never to click links in emails notifying me that my paycheck has been deposited. I get a notification email every time I get paid automatically. But automated recurring emails can be dangerous. They’re commonly faked because the bad guys know we’re expecting them. Be suspicious of emails that ask you for account login and passwords. ALWAYS go to your account websites by entering their addresses directly into your browser or via a bookmark you made yourself. Never trust links in e-mails, text messages, pop-ups, etc.
As a rule, if a link is unsolicited, you don't want to click on it. Hackers send out malicious links in emails and texts daily, and they're especially good at putting links in emails that look like they're from legitimate companies. If the links are from people you know, check with them first to make sure they really sent it, and that their accounts weren’t hacked.
The bottom line is that unless you explicitly know and trust it, avoid it and don’t click the link. Make this a habit and you can avoid one of the biggest mistakes in internet safety.
navitend educates clients by working with management to plan simulated phishing attacks on your end-user base. We measure the "click-through" rate on the emails and report the information we collected back to you. This is part of our "Security Awareness Micro Training" which includes continuous 1-2 minute training lessons to assess, educate, reinforce, and maximize your employee retention regarding malicious and phishing email attacks.
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