Managed IT Services in Atlanta: What Does a Phishing Attack Look Like?

When someone hears the word “phishing”, they often picture someone sitting on a dock with a fishing pole. Of course, phishing is not the same as fishing, though both share similar traits, according to managed IT services experts in Atlanta. They both try to get someone (or something) to take the bait.

It’s easy to know when someone is fishing. But, can you spot when someone is phishing for a way to infiltrate your company?

What Exactly Is Phishing?

Phishing works by convincing the target that the hacker is someone else. If the target of the attack takes the bait, the hacker stands to gain valuable information or access to the company’s network.

For example, your A/P person opens what appears to be an email from your biggest vendor with an attachment. That attachment is not an invoice, however. It’s malware that starts spreading throughout your network. That’s a successful phishing attack.

Spotting a Phishing Attack

The two most common types of phishing attacks, according to managed IT services experts in Atlanta, are:

  • Deceptive – This is where an attacker sends out thousands of emails posing as a bank or other common company. All it takes is a few people to click on the link inside the email to make the attack successful.
  • Spear – This kind of phishing attack is focused on an individual. The attacker gathers specific information about that person, then creates a focused attack. The A/P attack above is a good example of this.

There are generally two ways to spot a phishing attack:

  • The sender’s email address doesn’t make sense. For example, the emails claim to be from a bank, but the sender’s email is a Google account.
  • The links in the email don’t make sense. For example, instead of linking to the bank’s website, the link goes somewhere completely different.

Securing your company against phishing attacks requires taking better precautions. Contact us now at MIS Solutions, Inc. . We are the IT consultants in Atlanta businesses rely on for their security needs. We also provide managed IT services for Atlanta businesses.

Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call
We’ll discuss your IT requirements and assess whether we’re the right fit for you.

Share:

Liked the articles?

Well, there’s plenty more where that came from! Our incredible team is constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest IT content to keep you informed about what’s cooking in the world of technology. Make sure you don’t miss out on our amazing content by subscribing to receive blog updates.

  • Remark: We will collect your information for marketing purposes. However, we respect your privacy rights. If you wish to access or amend any Personal Data we hold about you, or request that we delete any information about you that we have collected, please send us an email: info@mis-solutions.com
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.