Online fraud has flourished since scammers have learned how to fool people unaware of how dangerous it is to share personal data over the internet.
First steps to reducing the risks of online fraud
Like it or not, if you respect your business privacy, you should prepare your team for possible threats. A couple of training lessons significantly reduce the risks of being vulnerable to scam attempts.
The most popular threats your team must be aware of:
- Phishing (fake emails from scammers who want to steal credentials).
- CEO fraud (a scammer pretends to be a chief executive).
- Ransomware (distribution of malicious software via emails, etc.).
- Invoice fraud (fake orders).
Moreover, it is important to review all the software running in a company. Outdated programs are not reliable because their flaws can be exposed and known to hackers.
If you use public services, you never know who manages and stores your data. Switching to self-hosted professional software significantly enhances business data privacy.
Practical privacy measures
Verify email address. A scammer can mimic the style and composition of emails you regularly read every day. Double-check suspicious emails, especially their addresses.
Be careful with links. Avoid clicking on links in messages from strangers. Or check them via special services (e.g. VirusTotal).
Separate personal and business accounts. Oversharing on personal social media can help scammers use social engineering hacks against you to breach into business accounts.
Work in LAN if possible, and use a secure internet connection for external requests.
Strong passwords and 2FA for public services.
Update regularly. Professional business software vendors fix security flaws and enhance privacy measures regularly.
Scammers learn about routine work and can imitate your team members almost perfectly. Additional checks, a cold mind, and common knowledge of cybersecurity trends help avoid breaches and online fraud.