August 14, 2022 / by Admin / In security

Law Firms Are Falling for Phishing Attacks: How to Teach Employees to Avoid Them

Law firms are a popular target for phishing scams. But why are these businesses falling for these scams, and what can they do to protect their employees and data? To put it simply, a greater proportion of law firms fall victim to phishing attacks as they often have access to confidential information that scammers can use to steal identities or commit other crimes.

In this blog post, we will discuss why law firms are falling for phishing attacks and how they can teach employees to avoid them. We will also provide some tips on how to protect your firm from these types of scams.

8 Tips for Teaching Employees About Phishing and How to Stay Safe Online

Teaching your employees about phishing and how to stay safe online is vital in today’s business world. With so much of our daily lives and working online, everyone must know how to spot a phishing attempt and what to do if they receive one.

Here are a few tips to help you teach your employees about phishing:

Explain What Phishing Is and How It Works

Phishing is an online fraud in which criminals pose as legitimate businesses or organisations in order to trick people into providing personal information, such as credit card numbers, birth certificate numbers, or login credentials. Phishing attacks can come in emails, text messages, or phone calls, and they often look compelling at first glance.

Explain how phishing works by giving employees a few examples of common phishing scams. For example, an attacker may send an email that appears to be from a legitimate company, such as a bank or online retailer. The email may include a link to a fraudulent website that looks identical to the legitimate site. The cybercriminal then tricks you into entering your login credentials or credit card information on the fake site, which the attacker can use to gain access to their accounts or commit identity theft.

Emphasise that phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to identify. Attackers are constantly finding new ways to trick victims, so it’s crucial for employees to be vigilant when reading emails and browsing the web.

Teach Employees How to Identify Phishing Emails

A few critical indicators indicate that an email may be a phishing scam. For example, the email may:

• Include typos or grammatical errors
• Come from an unrecognised sender
• Be addressed to Dear Sir/Madam instead of using the recipient’s name
• Urge the recipient to take immediate action, such as clicking on a link or opening an attachment
• Threaten the recipient with account suspension or legal action if they do not take action

Encourage employees to use caution when receiving any email that includes these indicators. They should never click on links or open attachments from suspicious emails, as doing so could give attackers access to their accounts or infect their computers with malware.

Show Employees How to Spot Suspicious Websites

In addition to phishing emails, attackers use fake websites to trick victims. These websites are often designed to look identical to legitimate sites, making them difficult to spot.

There are a few indicators that a website may be fraudulent:

• The URL is slightly different from the legitimate site (for example, the attacker may use a different domain or misspell the name of the company)
• There are grammatical errors or typos on the site
• The site is not securely encrypted (look for https:// in the URL)

Remind employees to always double-check the URL of a website before entering any sensitive information. They should also ensure that the site is securely encrypted with https:// before entering any login credentials or credit card numbers.

Encourage Employees to Use Strong Passwords

One of the best ways to protect against phishing attacks is to use strong passwords. A strong password is at least eight characters long and includes a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Instruct employees never to use the same password for more than one account. If an attacker gets ahold of their password, they can gain access to all of their accounts. Employees should also avoid using easily guessed words and be encouraged to use password managers.

Set Up a Phishing Simulator

A phishing simulator is a tool companies can use to test their employees’ susceptibility to phishing attacks. Companies can send out simulated attacks with a phishing simulator to see who falls for them. A phishing simulator can help identify employees who need additional training on how to spot and avoid phishing attacks.

Advise Employees to Keep Their Software Up-to-Date

One of the best ways to protect against phishing attacks is to keep all software up-to-date. Attackers often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to deliver their payloads. By keeping software up-to-date, employees can help close these security holes and make it more difficult for attackers to succeed.

Conduct Regular Security Awareness Training

Security awareness training is an integral part of any company’s security program. With regular training, employees can stay up-to-date on the latest threats and learn how to spot and avoid them. Training should be conducted regularly, such as once a quarter or once a year.

Instruct Employees to Be Cautious when Clicking on Links in Emails

Attackers often include links in phishing emails that lead to fake websites. These websites look identical to legitimate sites, making it difficult for victims to spot the difference. Once on the affected site, the victim may be asked to enter sensitive information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers.

Remind employees that they should be cautious when clicking on links in emails, even if the email appears to be from a trusted sender. If they receive an email from a company or organisation they do not recognise, they should delete it immediately.

Takeaway for the Reader

Phishing attacks are a serious threat to businesses of all sizes, but by taking steps to educate employees about these threats and how to avoid them, companies can help protect themselves. Additionally, setting up a phishing simulator and conducting regular security awareness training can improve employees’ ability to spot and avoid phishing attacks.