The top threat to employees is Phishing attacks, which sees hackers attempt to steal data from the individual or organisation that receives the message. To help protect yourself and your employers’ organisation from phishing attacks, it’s pivotal that all staff members are aware of how attackers operate and are on high alert when noticing suspicious activity.

Developing a few good online habits drastically reduces your chances of becoming a victim of phishing, these habits include:

1 - Ensure staff have the correct privileges

Make sure staff don't browse the web or check emails from an account with Administrator privileges. This will reduce the impact of successful phishing attacks.

2 - Regularly scan your devices and systems for viruses and malware

Scan for malware and change passwords as soon as possible if you suspect a successful attack has occurred.

3 - Check for obvious signs of Phishing Poor grammar and spelling and low-quality versions of recognisable logos are common signs of Phishing attacks. Other things to look out for include checking the sender's email address to see if it looks legitimate or whether a company logo has been manipulated to look legitimate.

4 - Use Multi-factor authentication Multi-factor authentication otherwise known 2FA means that two different types of information are required before access will be permitted to allow access to an account or computer system.

This helps stop cybercriminals from accessing your accounts even if they obtain your passwords.

5 - Review your privacy settings Criminals use publicly available information about you to make their phishing emails appear convincing. Review your privacy settings and think about what you post on any social media channels that you use.

To help you to guard your business against cyber-attacks the SECRC offers a free membership package. It is hassle-free and doesn’t commit you to anything that you’ll later be charged for. Join today at www.secrc.co.uk/membership.