As more small- and medium-sized businesses make use of online services, including e-mail, banking, credit card merchant account management or the management of their company's Web site, the threat of online identity theft, or phishing, can be a significant security concern.
The term phishing comes from the analogy that Internet scammers use email as bait to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users. Generally, a fake Web site is created that looks almost identical to that of a legitimate organization, typically a financial institution such as a bank, credit card or insurance company. An e-mail is sent requesting that the recipient visit the fake Web site and enter their personal details, including security access codes and account information.
Half of all U.S. businesses with less than 500 employees have encountered phishing at work, according to a survey conducted by Trend Micro, an antivirus provider. The survey also states that at least one-third of these respondents said they lost personal information, experienced drop-offs in productivity or were victims of identity theft; one-fifth said they also lost company information.
According to a survey conducted by the FBI with more than 2,000 organizations, 64 percent suffered a financial loss from computer security incidents over a 12-month period. The average cost per company was more than $24,000, with the total cost reaching $32 million just for those surveyed.
While these figures are alarming, there are a number of easy and economical methods for preventing this type of online threat.
Follow these tips to avoiding phishing scams:
• Treat all email from your financial institution as highly suspect. Financial institutions rarely, if ever, use email to communicate about sensitive account information or passwords.
• Stay informed by educating yourself against popular phishing scams. Simply typing the phrase “phishing scams” into an online search engine will provide a wealth of information.
• Purchase and install antivirus software to protect your computer and update it regularly.
• Install e-mail spam blockers to minimize unwanted content.
• Purchase anti-spyware software to prevent the transmission of personal information from your computer.
• Never open an e-mail attachment unless you recognize the sender or are expecting a file.
• Consider outsourcing. A professional managed services provider can tailor their services specifically for your businesses, providing similar levels of support found in large organizations.
For more information, visit www.TeamLogicIT.com or e-mail Brian Plotkin at [email protected].
The term phishing comes from the analogy that Internet scammers use email as bait to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users. Generally, a fake Web site is created that looks almost identical to that of a legitimate organization, typically a financial institution such as a bank, credit card or insurance company. An e-mail is sent requesting that the recipient visit the fake Web site and enter their personal details, including security access codes and account information.
Half of all U.S. businesses with less than 500 employees have encountered phishing at work, according to a survey conducted by Trend Micro, an antivirus provider. The survey also states that at least one-third of these respondents said they lost personal information, experienced drop-offs in productivity or were victims of identity theft; one-fifth said they also lost company information.
According to a survey conducted by the FBI with more than 2,000 organizations, 64 percent suffered a financial loss from computer security incidents over a 12-month period. The average cost per company was more than $24,000, with the total cost reaching $32 million just for those surveyed.
While these figures are alarming, there are a number of easy and economical methods for preventing this type of online threat.
Follow these tips to avoiding phishing scams:
• Treat all email from your financial institution as highly suspect. Financial institutions rarely, if ever, use email to communicate about sensitive account information or passwords.
• Stay informed by educating yourself against popular phishing scams. Simply typing the phrase “phishing scams” into an online search engine will provide a wealth of information.
• Purchase and install antivirus software to protect your computer and update it regularly.
• Install e-mail spam blockers to minimize unwanted content.
• Purchase anti-spyware software to prevent the transmission of personal information from your computer.
• Never open an e-mail attachment unless you recognize the sender or are expecting a file.
• Consider outsourcing. A professional managed services provider can tailor their services specifically for your businesses, providing similar levels of support found in large organizations.
For more information, visit www.TeamLogicIT.com or e-mail Brian Plotkin at [email protected].