Anti-Phishing

Phishing is one of the most widespread methods used by hackers to gain access to a company’s systems and data.

Phishing is a form of social engineering, which involves manipulating individuals into taking actions on behalf of the hacker.

It is often the easiest way for a hacker to breach an organisation’s IT systems and access sensitive data, as employees are typically the weakest link in the security chain. While modern IT systems have become more robust, making it harder for hackers to bypass technical security measures, employees already have legitimate access to these systems. Hackers exploit this by manipulating individuals into granting access. In fact, two-thirds of data breaches involve human error or social engineering via phishing attacks.

During a phishing attack, hackers attempt to trick victims into revealing confidential information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details, or personal data. This is typically done by sending fraudulent emails, fake messages, or directing victims to counterfeit websites designed to appear as if they originate from trusted sources, such as banks, social media platforms, or well-known businesses.

The risks associated with phishing attacks cannot be overstated. It only takes one successful phishing attempt against a single employee to cause severe consequences for an organisation. This risk is further heightened by the increasing sophistication of phishing tactics, including the use of artificial intelligence to craft convincing messages in multiple languages and tailor content to specific targets.

It is therefore crucial to understand what phishing is, how to protect against it, and to recognise that phishing is not limited to email attacks. Phishing also occurs through SMS (smishing), phone calls (vishing), messaging apps (such as WhatsApp and Telegram), and social media platforms.

Preventive Measures

Combating phishing requires a combination of technical solutions, employee awareness, and internal processes for handling phishing attempts. An effective anti-phishing strategy should address the following key areas:

• Make it difficult for hackers to reach your users.

• Help users identify and report phishing attempts.

• Protect your organisation from the consequences of a successful phishing attack.

• Respond swiftly if an employee falls victim to phishing.

Technical Measures

The ideal scenario is that users within your organisation are never exposed to phishing attempts. To some extent, this can be achieved by implementing technical security measures. One such measure involves preventing phishing emails from reaching users' inboxes altogether.

There are several ways to protect against phishing attacks. A key approach is making it difficult for hackers to forge emails that appear to come from your organisation. Cybercriminals often attempt to exploit an organisation’s name and domain for phishing attacks. By implementing security protocols such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, your organisation can actively prevent unauthorised use of its domain. These technologies make it significantly harder for attackers to send fraudulent emails that appear legitimate, thereby protecting both internal employees and external contacts from spoofing attacks, where sender addresses are falsified.

Another essential measure is filtering and blocking phishing emails at the email server level before they reach users' inboxes. Email filtering systems can analyse all incoming messages and identify suspicious emails that resemble phishing attempts, spam, or malware, ensuring they never reach the intended recipient.

In addition to server-side filtering, further security measures can be applied at the email client level. Built-in filtering tools in platforms like Outlook or Gmail, or third-party security plugins, offer an extra layer of protection against phishing emails that may bypass initial defences.

Awareness Training

If technical security measures prove insufficient, employees may still encounter phishing attempts via email, phone calls, messaging apps, social media, or fake websites. It is therefore critical that they understand these threats and know how to respond appropriately.

Phishing attacks occur constantly, with many organisations facing daily attempts. To ensure employees are prepared, ongoing training is essential. Employees should regularly receive structured training that equips them with the knowledge to recognise and resist different types of phishing attacks as they evolve. This training may include workshops, eLearning courses, phishing simulations, and continuous updates on emerging threats.

Processes and Policies

Beyond individual training, organisations must establish a clear framework that defines how phishing threats should be handled. This can be achieved by incorporating phishing-related guidelines into the organisation’s IT security policy and incident response procedures.

It is equally important to implement an effective reporting system that allows employees to flag suspected phishing attempts. The sooner an organisation becomes aware of potential phishing attacks, the quicker it can mitigate the risk. A strong security culture should encourage employees to report suspicious incidents without hesitation—especially in cases where they may have unknowingly fallen victim to a phishing attempt.

The faster your organisation can respond to a cyberattack, the better the chances of minimising damage.

Threat Scenarios

Hackers use various approaches to phishing, adapting their tactics depending on the method of attack and the target audience.