Know What the Most Dangerous Threats Are

IT services providers in Dallas can help you secure operations from threats that sneak in via email, and as a result can be especially damaging to operations. There are best practices in protection to consider, but before applying them, you need to know the most common threats.

Notable Threats to Defend Against

Following, we’ll briefly explore three of the most common threats that businesses must contend with. These specific threats use email as a vector most commonly:

• Phishing
• Deceptive Spoofing
• Various Malware

Phishing

Phishing involves emails that pretend to be from managers or CEOs. Spear-phishing specifically targets “big fish” in a given organization. General phishing involves targeting anyone in your business as a whole.

These emails are usually easy to see as fraudulent if you look at the email address they originate from carefully, watch for grammatical errors, and note the time at which they’re sent.

Even so, such emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so keeping apprised of known features defining such cybercrime represents a key strategy.

Deceptive Spoofing

Something else that IT services professionals in Dallas will strongly recommend you watch out for is “spoofing”. Essentially, someone “let’s on” to be someone else, similar to phishing; but does it a bit more successfully. Say you got a phone call from your mom, but it wasn’t your mom, it was some guy in China. Well, that phone number was likely “spoofed”.

This can probably be done beyond telephony systems, so be aware of the potential, and establish protocols to vet certain actions regarding data or assets so spoofing won’t affect operations. The spoofers don’t know your protocols.

Various Malware

Spyware, adware, Trojan viruses, ransomware–all are variations of malware and tend to hide in email attachments which are unknowingly opened by staff. Protocols help you get around this, as do email filters that “detonate” attachments in “safe” digital environments to assure they don’t have viruses.

Protective Actions

Establishing email filtration software to examine attachments can save a lot of trouble, training employees at intervals–rather than once or twice–is also smart. If you can update them on security through a quick briefing facilitated via MSP personnel once a month, that’s a great plan; it just depends on the feasibility of associated cost. Beyond that, you want patches and password management software, as well as remote monitoring to identify anomalous activities.

Securing Operations Through Professional MSP Solutions

Our IT services team in Dallas can help you defend against various malware, phishing, and deceptive spoofing through protective actions like monitoring, training, patches, and password management. To learn more about what’s out there, and how to protect operations, reach out to us at Technagy.