Tag Archive for: email

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Use These 5 Rules to Block Phishing Emails From Your Inbox

Your email inbox is likely rammed full of suspicious emails. Despite your best efforts, at some point, you’re bound to click on one; don’t worry, we all do it. However, you can try to keep your inbox phishing-free with a few simple tips and rules.

– Hover Over Links Before Clicking

One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from phishing attempts is to hover over any links before clicking them. This simple action can reveal the actual URL behind the anchor text, giving you a better idea of where it will take you.

When you hover over a link, make sure the URL matches the expected destination. If you expect to go to your bank’s website, but the URL looks unfamiliar or suspicious, it’s best to avoid clicking on it altogether.

Be particularly cautious of shortened links, as they can easily mask the true destination. Scammers often use link shorteners to hide malicious URLs behind seemingly innocuous ones. If you must click on a shortened link, consider using a URL checker to scan for potential threats.

URL checkers, such as VirusTotal or URLVoid, can help you determine whether a shortened link leads to a fraudulent or malicious site. So, just by taking a moment to verify the safety of a link, you can save yourself from potential headaches down the road.

– Set Up Email Rules and Filters

Another effective way to keep phishing emails at bay is to set up rules and filters within Outlook or another email client. These tools allow you to automatically sort incoming messages based on specific criteria, helping you separate legitimate emails from potential threats.

Start by creating rules based on the sender. Suppose you consistently receive phishing attempts from a particular email address or domain. In that case, you can create a rule that automatically moves these messages to a separate folder or marks them as spam.

Implementing language-based filters can also be helpful. Many phishing emails contain poor grammar, spelling errors, or unusual phrasing. By setting up filters that flag emails containing these red flags, you can easily identify and avoid potential scams.

Other filtering criteria might include subject lines containing urgent or threatening language, emails with attachments from unknown senders, or messages from countries where you don’t typically receive correspondence.

– Block Suspicious Email Addresses

If you spot phishing emails from the same sender, it may be time to take a more proactive approach. Most email clients offer the option to block specific email addresses, preventing future messages from reaching your inbox.

Blocking suspicious email addresses can provide extra protection against persistent scammers. Once blocked, these senders can no longer contact you, reducing the risk of accidentally falling for one of their schemes.

However, scammers may try to circumvent these blocks by creating new email addresses. Therefore, you need to consistently block suspicious senders and stay vigilant.

– Report Phishing Emails as Spam

When you come across a phishing email in your inbox, don’t just delete it—besides blocking the sender, take a moment to report it as spam. This simple action can have far-reaching benefits for both you and other email users.

When you report phishing emails as spam, it helps train your email client to recognize and filter out similar messages in the future. Over time, this can significantly reduce the number of phishing attempts that make it to your inbox.

Moreover, reporting an email as spam contributes to improving collective spam detection. Email providers use this feedback to update their algorithms, making identifying and blocking phishing attempts easier for all users.

– Regularly Update Your Email Client

One often overlooked aspect of protecting yourself from phishing emails is keeping your email client up-to-date. Software updates usually include important security patches and improvements that can help detect and prevent the latest phishing techniques.

Just regularly update your email client to ensure you have access to the most recent security features and spam detection algorithms. These updates can be the difference between falling victim to a phishing scam and avoiding it altogether.

Most email clients offer automatic updates. So, it gets easy to stay protected without much effort on your part. However, if you’re prompted to install an update manually, don’t put it off—take a few minutes to complete the process and give yourself that extra peace of mind.

So, by following these simple rules—hovering over links, setting up filters, blocking suspicious senders, reporting spam, and keeping your email client updated—you can significantly reduce your risk of falling for a phishing scam. And if you do slip up, don’t panic; you can still mitigate the phishing damage.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from MakeUseOf.com SOURCE

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Can you get rid of junk mail once and for all?

Email is a terrific tool that brings together friends, family, and business connections. But, unfortunately, it also has a terrible underbelly — spam, often called junk mail.

Stopping junk mail requires diligence, patience, and following specific steps. Unfortunately, that might not be enough to eliminate or even cut down on the spam you receive on any given day — but you can try.

It’s time to learn more about junk mail and how you can (attempt to) stop it.

What is junk mail

Like its physical counterpart, junk mail is typically unsolicited messages and usually contains commercial advertisements. Some junk mail also includes viruses and malware, which could cause real damage to your computer. To stop junk mail, you need first to understand how it happens. Most spam results from mailing lists bought and sold by businesses that contain your contact information. This information is often collected through above-board means, but deception often also plays a role.

For example, a mailing list could have gotten your information after you created an account on certain websites, such as a retailer you frequent or a company you seek more information. Sometimes this information gets collected after someone tricks you into applying online for a “free” gift or visiting a government or official site that is neither.

Today, most email services have a built-in spam blocker separating these messages from legitimate ones. And yet, nothing is foolproof, which means your inboxes will sometimes contain these annoying messages.

What you can do right now

The better combat junk mail, there are various steps you can take. Some can help with current emails, while others are more proactive.

First, use a junk mail filter on your email account: Most of the best email providers include junk mail filters automatically with their service. These tools filter unwanted or unsolicited emails, so you don’t have to.

Junk mail filters typically analyze the content of a message when it comes into your account, looking for keywords and phrases most likely to be found in these types of emails. As a result, junk mail filters not only clear your inbox of annoying messages, they can also protect you from phishing scams and other threats.

A good rule is not to open an email from someone you don’t know. If you’ve already done so, there’s an even more important rule: never open or click on links in unsolicited emails. Many bad things can happen when you do, such as dangerous files being accidentally installed onto your computer, prompts from questionable websites asking for your personal details, and suddenly more junk mail entering mailbox.

You might also consider unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters. These types of messages are often the result of visiting a website and entering your contact details. For example, you might be in the market for a new car, and upon visiting a site, you’re asked to enter your name and email address. That information is typically sold to mailing list companies, hence the steady rise in junk mail.

There are different ways you can do this. First, you can look for an unsubscribe link at the bottom of an email. Clicking on the “unsubscribe” link, and following the directions, will eventually remove you from that mailing list.  You can also attempt to contact the sender directly and ask to be removed from the list. This solution is best when there isn’t an unsubscribe link in an email.

Another solution is to use a newsletter management service and request that your name is removed from subsequent emails. The best newsletter management services typically make it relatively pain-free for someone to get removed from a list. These services are typically very responsive to these types of requests, although it might take awhile before you see a drop-off of mail.

It would be best if you also considered using the Surfshark Incogni tool, which will identify and communicate with dozens of data brokers so that your personal details can be deleted from databases stored by brokers. There are over 4,000 data brokers worldwide that now collect consumer information. Yes, 4,000!

Proactive steps you can take

Moving forward, there are a few online behavioral changes you can make to stop junk mail. These include:

Don’t engage: Your personal information is crazed by companies and organizations, good and bad. So from now on, be extra careful about who gets this information. When visiting a new website, for example, decide whether it’s worth handing over your email without making a purchase. And if you do decide to hand over this information, read the fine print first to see how this information is collected and used.

Trick them: You can give them a different email address when registering. This email can be a secondary email address you only use for website registrations. That way, any would-be solicitations are already separated from emails from your primary account. Perhaps a better way to do this is by using a mechanism like Apple’s Hide My Mail or the open-source SimpleLogin. These tools keep your personal email address private by creating unique, random addresses forwarded to your email. These addresses are made per incident, so you can quickly delete them when no longer necessary.

Start over: If you find it impossible to avoid spam, you can also consider the nuclear option and stop using your current email address. This would require signing up for a new email account and telling your important contacts about the switch, including any company you do business with. Once that tedious task is complete, use the new address and change some of your online habits, as mentioned above.

It’s hard to stop junk mail, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are various steps you can take to at least limit the amount of spam you receive. Luckily, some of the most straightforward steps get done automatically by whoever supplies you with your email. Beyond this, you can take additional steps, including proactive ones, to improve your situation.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechRadar SOURCE

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Information Technology Services
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An I.T. Manager’s New Year’s Resolution

An I.T. Manager’s New Year’s Resolution

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to review your systems maintenance program, tweak your plans and processes and optimize your overall I.T. strategy.

Review, Evaluate and Optimize.
More than likely, your business could live or die based on your IT strategy. We have all become dependent on our technology both in our personal and professional lives, so be sure to give it the TLC it needs. Review your key procedures and plans such as network failure testing, disaster recovery, business continuity, virus protection and data backup (for an integrated, online backup, storage and sharing application, click here). For those of you with an on-site backup solution, now is the perfect time to run those backups with a test recovery. With erratic weather on the rise and winter around the corner, taking the time to be sure you have a tight, foolproof strategy in place to keep both your systems and your information protected from loss or damage.

Be Smart About Your Data.
Inadequate protection or spotty management of critical data can have a profound effect on sustainability. Regularly scheduled testing of your backup strategy and implementing a daily backup routine will help prevent the disasters that prove fatal for many companies.

  • 31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control.
  • 34% of companies fail to test their onsite backup solution, and of those that do, 77% have found back-up failures.
  • 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster.
  • Every week 140,000 hard drives crash in the United States.
  • Simple drive recovery can cost upwards of $7,500 and success is not guaranteed.

We recommend assessing your existing data protection strategy and learn what data repository and storage medium options are available. It’s important to understand traditional backup methods as well as the benefits of developing an enhanced protection solution that meets the needs of your particular business.

Think of it as a Flu Shot for your Systems.
There are lots of people out there determined to infect your computers with viruses. Optimize your security with new or updated anti-virus, Spyware and Malware software. Be wary of free anti-virus software that sounds too good to be true because it often is.  You get what you pay for, and software that protects your computer needs regular and consistent updating to stay useful because viruses are constantly being generated. This is especially important if you use a networked computer system. Do your homework,  invest in effective software and keep it updated. (For an easy-to-use, simple, and effective anti-malware application, try Malwarebytes)
Give your Computer a Tune Up.
Straight out of the box, computers have often been loaded with unnecessary programs at the factory.  So, from day 1, your computer is accumulating software programs, update reminders, “bonus” software, and random files that you don’t need and over time it will become increasingly sluggish. By taking a few important steps, you can get it running efficiently again, for a lot longer. The first thing you should do is disable the programs that start up when your computer boots.  While there are many places this can occur, the easiest one to check is the Startup menu in your Programs menu. Additionally, simple tasks such as clean out your Windows Registry, remove unneeded files and programs, empty your recycling bin or trash, and perform a disc defragmentation can make a huge difference.  Even if your computer has been performing slowly for some time, beginning this regimen is sure to produce results.

Email – a Blessing or a Burden?
Most of us are guilty of being slaves to our inbox, whether we like to admit it or not. We keep every thing that has ever been sent to us out of some sort of unfounded fear of not having it should we ever need it. And the “reply all” function makes it exponentially worse. Well, each of those emails, particularly the ones with large attachments, take up space on your computer  – and space in your head when you are actually trying to find something. Email is the third largest culprit of workplace interruptions and email mismanagement costs you money.   Take charge and clean up that clutter by creating folders and subfolders to organize your communications. Save the attachments that you will need later onto your hard drive in a logical place, then delete the email if its unnecessary. Set your computer to delete your Trash after 30 days. Anything you can think of to reduce the number of emails in your actual inbox will save you time and money down the road.

GCInfotech can get you started on the path to a leaner, more efficient IT strategy. If you don’t have an IT Manager to make a New Year’s Resolution for you, then give us a call.

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You’re right – a huge number of your work emails are just spam

2022 sees rise in ‘unwanted’ emails as phishing attacks remain popular

A large proportion of your work emails may not be useful in any way, a new report examining billions of messages has claimed.

Research from Hornetsecurity analyzing 25 billion business emails found nearly half (40.5%) are ‘unwanted’, and could even represent a serious threat to businesses.

The report also revealed how email remains an incredibly popular threat vector, with the most common kind of malicious messages being phishing attacks – emails pretending to be from well-known companies, sometimes quite convincingly – which made up 39.6% of all threats.

False sense of security

When it comes to malicious email attachments, Archive files such as Zip made up the greatest proportion (28% of messages), followed by web files (HTML) at 21%. Text based files were also commonly employed, with tainted Microsoft Word documents making up 12.7%, PDF 12.4% and Excel 10.4%.

The report also found new methods are being developed by cybercriminals in response to the changing digital landscape. For instance, attacks exploiting the macro capabilities in Microsoft 365 are no longer viable since Microsoft disabled the feature last year, specifically to shore up its security.

As a result of this, new tactics have been adopted. HTML smuggling has risen, where hidden LNK or ZIP files are contained within web links to deploy malware.

Hornetsecurity CEO Daniel Hofmann warned that given the prevalence of cloud based systems, such as Microsoft 365, their use should merit the same level of caution. Hornetsecurity’s report found that a quarter of respondents did not know that 365 could be a potential gateway for ransomware – some even presumed it was invulnerable to such threats.

“Ongoing training should be in place to prevent fraudsters from manipulating the trust people have in Microsoft and other office systems”, Hoffman advised. He also made specific mention of Microsoft Teams, adding that “it’s also critical to ensure all data shared via this platform is backed up.”

Other reports have found a similarly high – or even higher – proportion of spam emails in people’s accounts. Recent findings from Kaspersky, for instance, put the figure between 45-85%.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechRadar SOURCE

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How to spot ‘spear phishing’, an insidious cybercrime trend

True story: At a company I once worked for, employees received an email about an unexpected bonus. In private Slack channels, we wondered whether it was a well-played phishing attempt. Turns out, the bonus was legit, but so was our inclination to question it. Phishing—when cybercriminals pose as legitimate institutions to get info or money from you—is the origin of up to 90 percent of breaches and hacking incidents, says Frank Cilluffo, director of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security in Alabama.

These cyber bad guys have even taken it to the next level with “spear phishing,” a practice of sending emails that appear to be from someone you personally know. “This happened to me once and it was a humbling experience,” says Adam Doupé, director of the Center for Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics at Arizona State University in Tempe. Turns out, the email seemed to be coming from a colleague, and Doupé was boarding a plane when he got it so he wasn’t as careful as he would normally be. “I ended up replying with my cell phone number,” recalls Doupé. “When the phisher responded with a request to send gift cards, the alarm bells went off.”

Knowing that a cybersecurity expert got played, an average person has to be hypervigilant. But could you be missing out on legit offers and emails because you’re being too cautious? Your first line of defense: install a protection software (like Malwarebytes). This sort of protection that lives on your computer, coupled with our expert tips below, will stop phishers in their tracks.

3 Ways To Tell If It’s Phishing Or Not

Experts say there are a few things you can do if you’re unsure whether an email is a phishing attempt.

1. Check the email address carefully.

Hover your cursor over the full email—not just the sender’s name—to see if anything looks off. “For instance, instead of .com, the address may contain .ru,” says Cilluffo. (.Ru indicates that it’s from a Russian server.) Compare the address on a recent email to one that you’ve responded to previously.

2. Call or text the person you think may have sent the email.

Ever receive an email from a friend or colleague and it seems off? Maybe it’s much briefer than usual or perhaps they addressed you by your full name rather than a nickname. Trust your gut, and don’t respond or click on any links or attachments until you’ve verified the email. While it truly may just be a link to their kids’ fundraiser, it could be the work of a cyber criminal trying to get you to download malware—aka malicious software.

3. Verify through an independent news source.

Sometimes you may receive an email about an important recall notice or info about a class-action lawsuit. Search on a trustworthy news site whether the link contained in your email appears in any news articles, suggests Doupé.

Bottom line?

Cyber criminals are getting more and more creative at making their phishing attempts appear legitimate. Go with your gut, slow down to verify the validity of messages you receive and install a protection software (like Malwarebytes) to stop phishers before they start.

Are you interested in learning more about cybersecurity? Call us today and discover how our wide array of tech services can safeguard your business.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from yahoo.com SOURCE

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