Avoiding scams and hacks

Scam techniques change every day, so specific examples quickly go out of date. It is better to keep a few key principles in mind.

Don’t underestimate the threat

You are already a target of hacking and phishing attempts, whether through an ad on a harmless web page or an e-mail that seems to come from a partner.

The impact of a cyberattack is often underestimated, both financially and for your company’s reputation. It is essential to:

• Plan ahead
• Have a clear action plan in case of attack

Know what information is out there about you

Any information available about you can one day be used against you, even a seemingly harmless first name. Imagine a call where the person already knows your full name: far more convincing than a plain “Sir” or “Madam”.

The more sensitive information circulates about you, the more cautious you need to be. It reaches the wrong hands in two main ways:

1. Yourself: through social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn…) and the data you make public.
2. Hacks and data leaks.

To see what has leaked about you, use haveibeenpwned.com. It shows:

• Whether your e-mail address appears in leaked databases
• Which leak it was
• What data was compromised

If your address, username and password have leaked, they can be reused to break into other accounts or make phishing believable. For example: “Hello, your password xxxxx has been compromised. Follow this link to secure it.” And the trap snaps shut.

Warning signs

Most scams have something in common: they exploit human biases. The following should put you on alert immediately:

• A sense of urgency in the request
• Unsolicited or unexpected mail, attachments or requests
• A request for codes, credentials or sensitive information

Each sign you spot, however vague, should raise your level of suspicion.

Training and awareness

Human error is one of the main causes of breaches. Training your team is not optional: it is a necessity. Through talks, simulated attacks (such as phishing) and regular reminders, you:

• Drastically reduce the risks
• Give everyone the right reflexes
• Detect threats faster

Async helps companies strengthen their cybersecurity with:

1. Awareness talks
2. Phishing test campaigns to check what staff have learned
3. Advice and preparation of disaster recovery plans