#CybersecurityAwarenessMonth – Recognize & Report Phishing Emails

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nJoseph Martinos, CISSP, CCSPn

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nIn the digital age, email has become an integral part of our personalnand professional lives. However, with the convenience of emailncommunication comes the risk of phishing attacks. Phishing emails arendeceptive messages designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitiveninformation or performing harmful actions. To protect yourself and yournorganization from falling victim to phishing scams, it’s crucial tonlearn how to recognize and report phishing emails effectively. In thisncomprehensive blog, we’ll explore the various aspects of phishing, fromnspotting the red flags to taking action against these malicious attempts.n

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nUnderstanding Phishingn

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nBefore we dive into the details of recognizing and reporting phishingnemails, it’s essential to understand what phishing is and how it works.nPhishing is a form of cybercrime where attackers masquerade as trustednentities, such as banks, government agencies, or reputable companies, tondeceive individuals into disclosing confidential information likenpasswords, credit card numbers, or personal identification details. Theynoften do this by sending fraudulent emails that appear legitimate atnfirst glance.n

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nEight Steps to Recognizing Phishing Emails

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  1. Check the Sender’s Email Address – Start by scrutinizing then sender’s email address. Phishing emails often use emailn addresses that look similar to legitimate ones but mayn contain slight variations, such as misspelled domain namesn or extra characters. Pay close attention to the sender’sn domain to spot these discrepancies.
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  2. Examine the Salutation – Phishing emails may use genericn salutations like “Dear Customer” instead of addressing youn by name. Legitimate organizations usually personalize theirn emails with your name.
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  3. Be Cautious of Urgent Language – Phishing emails oftenn create a sense of urgency to pressure recipients into takingn immediate action. Beware of phrases like “Your account willn be suspended” or “Immediate action required,” as they aren common in phishing attempts.
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  4. Check for Spelling and Grammar Errors – Phishing emailsn often contain spelling and grammar mistakes. These errorsn can be a telltale sign that the email is not from an reputable source.
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  5. Hover over Links Before Clicking – Avoid clicking on linksn in emails without hovering your cursor over them first. Thisn action will reveal the actual URL the link leads to. If then URL looks suspicious or doesn’t match the expectedn destination, do not click on it.
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  6. Be Wary of Unsolicited Attachments – Phishing emails mayn include attachments or prompts to download files. Only openn attachments from trusted sources, and even then, ben cautious. Malicious attachments can contain malware that cann compromise your device.
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  7. Check for Secure Communication – Legitimate organizationsn usually use secure communication methods. Look for HTTPS inn the website URL and a padlock icon in the browser’s addressn bar when clicking on links in emails.
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  8. Verify Requests for Personal Information – Be skeptical ofn emails requesting personal or financial information, such asn passwords, Social Security numbers, or credit card details.n Reputable organizations would not ask for this informationn via email.
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Reporting Phishing Emails

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Once you’ve identified a phishing email, it’snessential to take action to protect yourself andnothers. Here’s how to report phishing emailsneffectively:

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  1. Don’t Click on Anything – Avoid clicking onn any links or downloading attachments in then phishing email. Clicking on these cann compromise your security further.
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  2. Report to Your Email Provider – Most emailn providers offer options to report phishingn emails. Look for a “Report Phishing” orn “Report Spam” button in your email clientn and use it. This helps the provider identifyn and block similar phishing attempts in then future.
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  3. Notify the Legitimate Organization – If then phishing email appears to come from an reputable organization, contact them throughn their official website or customer servicen number to inform them of the scam. Thisn helps the organization take appropriaten measures to protect its customers.
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  4. Update Your Security Software – Ensure yourn antivirus and anti-malware software is up ton date. This will help protect your computern from potential threats introduced byn phishing attempts.
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  5. Change Passwords – If you’ve fallen victimn to a phishing attack and disclosed sensitiven information, change your passwordsn immediately. Use strong, unique passwordsn for each account to enhance security.
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In conclusion, recognizing and reporting phishingnemails is a crucial skill in today’s digitalnlandscape. By following the tips outlined in thisnpost and taking proactive steps to prevent phishingnattacks, you can protect yourself, your personalninformation, and your organization from fallingnvictim to these malicious schemes. Stay vigilant,nstay safe, and together, we can combat phishing andnother cyber threats.

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Joseph Martinos, CISSP, Information Security Officer atnthe National Bank of Canada has 20 years of experiencenin the Cybersecurity and technology field. He holds bothnthe CISSP and CCSP certifications in addition to annExecutive MBA. Joseph’s expertise are in RisknAssessments, Threat Modeling and Cloud Security.

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