What is phishing, why is it dangerous, and how can you save your Club from phishing attacks? We prepared a checklist for you.

What is phishing? 

Phishing is a type of cybersecurity attack that involves tricking people into providing sensitive information. Phishing usually involves sending messages that look like they are from a legitimate company or website. These messages contain a link that downloads malware or directs users to a dodgy website.

No matter how big the company is, it can be under attack. Your Club may get caught up either in a mass campaign, where the attacker tries to collect new passwords or make some easy money or in a targeted attack against your company to steal sensitive data.

So, it’s crucial for your employees to be able to reveal phishing attempts and not let the cybercriminals achieve their goals.

How to recognize phishing?

Examine the “From” email address

The first part of the email address may look legitimate, but the last part might be off by a letter or may include a number in the usual domain.

Check for secure websites

Any webpage where you enter personal information should have a URL with HTTPS://. The “s” stands for secure.

Look for errors

Notice misspellings, incorrect grammar and odd phrasing. It might be a deliberate attempt to try to bypass spam filters.

Watch for overly generic content

Cybercriminals send a large batches of emails. Look for examples like “Dear valued customer.”

Check all links

Hover over the link and see if the link’s description matches the one implied in the email.

Look for urgency

“You’ve won! Click here to redeem the prize,” or “We have your browser history pay now, or we are telling your boss.”

Don’t click on attachments

Attachments containing viruses might have an intriguing message encouraging you to open them, such as “Here is the schedule I promised.”

How to protect your Club from phishing?

There are three main steps in increasing the cyber security level of your Club:

Conduct regular security awareness training

Maybe it sounds weird, but the weakest point is usually your employees. So, it’s important to keep them up to date on the latest security landscape and best practices through regular training.

We also recommend sending an email to all staff to raise awareness. Feel free to use the following template for your email to your employees:

Subject: Important Information Regarding Phishing Emails

Dear all,

I am writing to raise awareness about the dangers of phishing emails and the importance of being vigilant regarding online security. Phishing emails are a typical cyberattack that attempts to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information or downloading malware.

To protect our organization from these types of attacks, we all must follow these dos and don’ts:

DOs:

• Be cautious of unsolicited emails: If you receive an email from an unknown sender, do not open attachments or click on links.

• Verify the sender’s email address: Check the sender’s email address to ensure it is from a legitimate source—phishing emails often trick recipients using fake email addresses or similar domain names.

• Report suspicious emails: If you receive a suspicious email, immediately report it to the IT department.

1. Keep your software up to date: Ensure that your computer’s operating system, antivirus software, and web browser are updated with the latest security patches. Contact your IT service provider or your IT department.

DON’Ts:

1. Don’t share sensitive information: Never share personal or sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details, via email.

2. Don’t click on suspicious links: Do not click on links or download any attachments from suspicious emails, even if they appear to be from a trusted source.

3. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts: Use unique, strong passwords for each account to minimize the risk of a data breach.

4. Don’t trust everything you see: Be wary of emails that appear urgent or create a sense of urgency. Phishing emails often try to create a sense of urgency to trick individuals into taking action without thinking.

By following these dos and don’ts, we can all help to protect our organization and minimize the risk of falling victim to a phishing attack.

If you have any questions or concerns about online security, please do not hesitate to contact your manager or the IT department.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

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Perform routine testing to see whether the training is effective

It’s critical to consistently evaluate the success of your security training through quizzes, surveys, and mock tests.

Deploy quarantining solutions that stop phishing attacks

Clubs can protect themselves from the harmful effects of phishing attacks by deploying quarantining solutions that help stop phishing attempts in their tracks.

And, of course, the most effective way to protect your Club is to trust your cybersecurity to professionals. 

Club Support provides all IT services for Clubs, including security audit, user security training, risk management assessment, disaster recovery, etc. We’ll be happy to keep your Club totally safe.