A crucial factor for any business is email security and here at SMY, the main question clients ask is: is this genuine? Nine times out of ten, if you find yourself asking the question, then it probably is not!
Below are some questions we would encourage you to think about before assuming the email or link is safe.
Firstly, we encourage you to look for inconsistencies within the message. Do you recognise the sender and were you expecting the email? Even if the senders name is one that you recognise, be sure to click on the email address as it can often be similar but not quite right.
You can always pick up the phone to verify the sender is who they say they are; this will usually always give you an immediate answer. You should also check that the FROM address and name match.
Another clear sign is the formatting. When hovering over a hyperlink, it should show a reasonably recognised URL. Attachments should be titled in relation to the email content (such as invoice or attendee list) and they should all have standard file extensions such as .pdf or .jpg etc. There should also always be an email signature with company contact details.
We encourage you to think about whether the content of the email is what you would usually expect from this contact. Is the subject matter something you would usually hear from them on? Is their tone like previous exchanges?
Check if the content is specifically tailored to you and keep an eye out for formatting errors with fonts, sizing, and spelling mistakes.
Malicious links are becoming harder and harder to identify. Once opened or clicked on, your device may be subject to the installation of malware such as viruses. Viruses cause sensitive information to be accessed and shared. Once an email phishing attack has taken place, this can all happen behind the scenes without your knowledge.
If one or more of the above points alarm you, act very cautiously, it is likely to be spam or malicious. If in any doubt, do not open it or any attachments. Contact the sender via telephone to verify the email and\or delete it.
If you need more advice on this topic, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, our team of experts are always happy to help.
“Many thanks again for all of your work getting us up and running in the cloud and getting us organised, another happy customer.”
- Karen Cotton -