Cyber security awareness
By Gary Dickson, SFHA Digital and Design Manager.
By now, many of you will have heard about the recent cyber-attack on SAMH, which has resulted in its systems, including emails and phones, being compromised, and personal data leaked onto the dark web.
We do not yet know how the attack on SAMH happened, but, in cases like this, it can be through the ‘human firewall’, i.e. someone clicking on an unsuspecting phishing email. This serves as a timely reminder to us all to be extremely vigilant and aware when reviewing any emails that either:
- Ask you to click on an unknown link
- Ask you to either email or enter (on an external website) a username and password.
In some instances, it will be legitimate, i.e. internal SharePoint links, but if the link takes you to an external website, exert caution before entering any details. If in any doubt, contact your IT support.
Here is a quick check list of what to look out for in suspected phishing emails:
1. An unfamiliar tone or greeting
When reading phishing messages, look for incorrect use of words. For example, a colleague who uncharacteristically sounds very familiar, or a family member who sounds very formal. If the email sounds strange, and does not use the language you’d expect from the sender, you should look for other indicators that it may be fake.
2. Grammar and spelling errors
Frequent spelling mistakes and poor grammar are common indicators of phishing emails. Most companies use professional copywriters, or at least a spell checker, to review official emails before sending them. Therefore, emails sent from professional sources should largely be free of grammar and spelling errors.
3. Inconsistencies in email addresses, links and domain names
Another easy way to identify potential phishing attacks is to look for discrepancies between the email address, link, and domain name. For example, it is a good idea to verify previous communications that match the same email address (you may find previous emails from the same organisation came from a different email account or domain).
If a link is included in the email, first move your mouse over the link to see the destination URL. A sure sign of phishing is that the domain used in the link does not match the company that supposedly sent the email. For example, the email is from Amazon, but the link does not go to amazon.com
4. Threats or a sense of urgency
Emails that warn the recipient about something negative are immediately suspicious. Another strategy used by attackers is urgency – encouraging or demanding immediate action, in the hope that the user will act quickly and won’t have time to fully investigate the content of the phishing message. Any type of threat or urgent request should cause a user to stop and investigate the email more closely.
5. Unusual request
If the request made in the email is uncommon, the email may be malicious. For example, an email from a CEO requesting to transfer funds urgently, without going through the regular payment systems.