Protecting Your Business from Phishing Attacks: A Complete Guide

Introduction

Phishing attacks are among the most prevalent and dangerous cyber threats facing organisations today. Cybercriminals use deceptive emails, websites, and messages to trick users into revealing sensitive data such as login credentials, financial information, or personal details.

By learning how to identify and prevent phishing, businesses can strengthen their cyber resilience and reduce the risk of costly data breaches.

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What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where cybercriminals impersonate legitimate organisations or individuals to steal confidential information. While phishing is most commonly associated with email, it can also occur through:

• Social media messages
• Phone calls (vishing)
• Fake websites or login portals
• Text messages (smishing)

These scams typically aim to trick victims into clicking malicious links, downloading malware-laden attachments, or submitting private data to fraudulent websites.

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How to Identify a Phishing Attack

1. Suspicious Email Addresses
   • Phishing emails may come from addresses that look legitimate at first glance, but contain subtle changes (e.g., info@companyname.co instead of info@companyname.com).
   • Always inspect the sender’s email address carefully before taking any action.
2. Urgent or Threatening Language
   • Messages may include scare tactics like “Your account will be deactivated unless you act now”.
   • Take time to verify the claims with the actual organisation before responding.
3. Unusual Requests
   • Emails asking for sensitive data, such as passwords or payment details, should raise red flags—especially if unsolicited.
   • Legitimate companies rarely request this type of information by email.
4. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
   • Phishing messages often contain poor grammar or typos, which can signal a lack of professionalism.
5. Suspicious Links and Attachments
   • Hover over links (without clicking) to preview the URL. If it looks suspicious or unfamiliar, avoid it.
   • Be wary of attachments from unknown senders—they may contain malware.
6. Irrelevant or Unexpected Content
   • Watch out for emails that reference unfamiliar invoices, accounts, or services.

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6 Ways to Protect Your Business from Phishing

1. Educate Employees on Phishing Risks

• Cyber Security Awareness Training: Provide regular training to help staff recognise suspicious emails and avoid risky behaviour.
• Simulated Phishing Campaigns: Test your team’s awareness with mock phishing attempts and provide feedback and coaching.

2. Use Advanced Email Filtering

• Email Security Solutions: Invest in email filtering tools that scan incoming messages for suspicious content and attachments.
• Spam Protection: Set up automated rules to block emails from known phishing domains and flag suspicious senders.

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

• Layered Security: MFA ensures that stolen credentials alone aren’t enough to access your systems.
• Mandatory MFA Policies: Apply MFA to all cloud services, email accounts, and VPNs used in your organisation.

4. Implement Strong Password Policies

• Unique and Complex Passwords: Require employees to use passwords that are hard to guess and not reused across platforms.
• Password Managers: Encourage the use of secure password managers to store credentials safely.

5. Monitor and Respond to Suspicious Activity

• Security Alerts: Set up real-time alerts for unauthorised logins, changes in user behaviour, and failed login attempts.
• Regular IT Audits: Review access logs and conduct vulnerability assessments to identify weak points.
• Incident Response Plan: Ensure employees know what to do and who to contact if they suspect phishing.

6. Report Phishing Attempts Promptly

• Internal Reporting: Make it easy for staff to forward suspicious messages to your IT or security team.
• External Reporting: Notify organisations like Action Fraud (UK) or your email provider to help stop wider attacks.

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What to Do If You’ve Fallen Victim to a Phishing Attack

1. Change Compromised Passwords Immediately
   • Update any account credentials that may have been exposed, using a strong and unique password for each account.
2. Notify Your IT Team or Service Provider
   • Early notification allows for quicker containment and mitigation of damage.
3. Review Account Activity
   • Check for suspicious changes, transactions, or access logs across affected systems.
4. Run Antivirus and Malware Scans
   • Use trusted endpoint protection tools to scan your system for any installed threats.

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Conclusion

Phishing prevention should be a key component of your organisation’s cyber security strategy. With the right training, tools, and policies in place, you can drastically reduce the risk of falling victim to these attacks.

From implementing Multi-Factor Authentication and secure email gateways to running regular employee awareness campaigns, proactive protection is critical.

If you’d like professional support strengthening your cyber defences, get in touch with Cyber United Solutions. We help UK businesses defend against phishing, ransomware, and other modern threats with bespoke, managed cyber security services.