Cyber-attacks that involve impersonation emails, also known as phishing attacks, have become increasingly common. According to Verizon findings, phishing is involved in 78% of cyber-espionage incidents. Having IT support in Dallas to help identify and mitigate email impersonation attacks is more crucial than ever today.

Impact of Phishing Attacks

Impersonation emails pose a significant danger to all types of businesses or organizations. These fraudulent attacks can lead to loss of intellectual property, monetary loss, loss of reputation, fines, and litigation. A phishing attack can have irreparable repercussions on your organization. The subsequent loss of business value can be difficult to recover from.

How to identify Impersonation Emails

Check Email Header Information
Email headers contain information indicating the origins of an email message. Always confirm if the display name matches the “From” email address. The “From” address can appear legitimate at first glance. However, a close inspection can reveal that the email address accompanying the display name is coming from a malicious actor.

You should also ensure that the “Reply-To” header is consistent with the source. This is easy to overlook since it is typically hidden from the email recipient. If the “Reply-To” address doesn’t have the organization name in the domain name, the email may have been forged.

You should also check for misspelled domain names. Malicious actors create email addresses that closely resemble the one they are impersonating. This is known as “Typosquatting”. They will often misspell a known address and bank on users not noticing the minor difference.

Analyze the Content of the Message
Instincts can serve as good protection against phishing attacks. Employee education, which is part of the services an IT support provider in Dallas is able to offer, can help your staff identify suspicious emails. Security tools like spam filters are not always 100% effective, making employee responsibility imperative.

A message from a supposed trusted source that seems out of the ordinary can be a sign of an impersonation attack. Always analyze the content of the message whenever you receive an unsolicited email.

This is more so when the email directs you to open attachments, click on links, or request information. Your employees should be on the lookout for generic greetings, a sense of urgency, unsolicited requests for sensitive information, unfamiliar attachments, or links.

Contact Message Sender via a Trusted Channel
If you receive a questionable email, there are some questions you should ask yourself to determine its reliability. Were you expecting the message? Does the message make sense? Are you being pushed to act urgently?

If an email seems authentic but still feels suspicious, it’s good practice to contact the apparent sender via a trusted channel. You can open a new message or use a trusted phone number to authenticate the email. Never reply to a suspicious message.

Overall, your staff must always be vigilant when receiving emails be they from familiar organizations/persons or unknown senders. Our IT support team in Dallas can help your business stay ahead of cyber scammers. Reach out to us at Technagy to learn more about how our services can help bolster your IT security.