Based on this and dozens of other studies, cybersecurity is getting worse. More funds are at risk due to the advanced hacking techniques and businesses, colleges, and even entire countries are under constant threat of ransomware, malware, and other scams that can cripple them into oblivion. This study from the FBI, which also found that $6.9 billion lost to these kinds of cyber-attacks in 2021, outlines which scams are most common and a few tips on how to avoid them. Of the almost 850,000 complaints lodged to the FBI about cyber-attacks, more than one third (323,972) were in regard to phishing scams with the next most common being non-payment scams at only 82,478 complaints. Even worse, a specific subset of this category, business email compromise (BEC) — which is a phishing scam against a business used to infiltrate its data and operations — accounted for 19,954 complaints, resulting in $2.4 billion lost in 2021. Suffice it to say, businesses need to be extra careful when it comes to shoring up their cybersecurity standards to prevent significant losses. So, what can you do?
Use secondary channels or two-factor authentication to verify requests for changes in account information.Ensure the URL in emails is associated with the business/individual it claims to be from.Be alert to hyperlinks that may contain misspellings of the actual domain name.Refrain from supplying login credentials or PII of any sort via email. Be aware that many emails requesting your personal information may appear to be legitimate.Verify the email address used to send emails, especially when using a mobile or handheld device, by ensuring the sender’s address appears to match who it is coming from.Ensure the settings in employees’ computers are enabled to allow full email extensions to be viewed.Monitor your personal financial accounts on a regular basis for irregularities, such as missing deposits.
Additionally, utilizing tools like antivirus software, password managers, and VPNs can improve your overall security setup at your business, allowing you to get to work without increased fear of these threats.
