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Phishing attacks are among the most common and dangerous cyber threats, as they can result in data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. As such, organizations need to understand how to protect their computer networks from phishing attacks and compromise. This article will discuss the best practices organizations can use to protect their computer networks from phishing attacks and compromise. We will cover employee training on cyber security awareness, anti-phishing tools, and technologies, email authentication protocols, URL scanning tools, etc. Following these best practices, organizations can protect their computer networks against phishing attacks and compromises. Motivation of Attack Hackers are looking for ways to compromise your network to access your data. The other motivation that attackers see is that the target may have access to systems or networks that may be needed to further the attack. The initial stages of an attack are observation and looking for weaknesses in the protections that may be employed. This may take several days or even minutes, depending on the strength of your security measures. Once the reason for the attack has been determined, and the initial surveillance has been completed against the target network or system, the plan of attack can be created or developed. An attacker must go through this critical stage in the attack matrix. How will they compromise the network to access the information or data they are after? This will also cost them time and resources that they may have to spend to get a "foot in the door," so to speak. Planning the Attack Phishing attacks are a popular way for cybercriminals to access sensitive information. Planning a successful phishing attack requires looking for weaknesses within network security, understanding the target's behavior, and determining the best approach to exploit those weaknesses. To plan an effective phishing attack, it is essential to understand the target's vulnerabilities and how they can be exploited. This involves analyzing the organization's existing security measures, identifying potential gaps in its defenses, and researching methods for using those weaknesses. Attackers must also consider how their victims may respond to their attempts at gaining access and adjust their tactics accordingly. By considering these steps when planning an attack, attackers can increase their chances of success while minimizing any potential risks associated with the attack. 1.Employee Awareness
Cyber security is an ever-evolving challenge requiring businesses to stay updated with the latest threats. Therefore, organizations must ensure that their employees know the current cybersecurity risks and how to protect their data and systems. Employee training on cyber security awareness is crucial in building a secure environment, as it helps employees understand how to identify potential threats and respond appropriately. This training can include identifying phishing emails, understanding password best practices, recognizing malicious websites, and more. By educating employees on these topics, businesses can reduce their risk of falling victim to a cyber-attack. 2.Tools & Technologies One of the key components to dealing with phishing attacks is to detect these threats within its primary attack vector, inside emails. No matter what executable file type, these files can be seen with various tools and technologies. Additionally, some of these attacks may hide the potential attack; this is done through the obfuscation of the code execution files. This is one of the key attack vectors that potential hackers will use to gain access to your computer network. Preventing these files is crucial in reducing the attack surface the attackers must use. Using technologies that disable executable files or prevent them from running in the first place may help avoid these malicious files from executing correctly. This ability goes a long way in helping to secure the computer network as it prevents possibly malicious files from running. With those files unable to provide a backdoor into the network, it shuts down a primary path used by most phishing campaigns. 3.Email Authentication Knowing whom you are getting emails from is one of the biggest things that you, as an administrator, can do to help to prevent potential threats. Restrictions on the type of files or attachments that can be sent may help avoid potential dangers. Additional settings within the various email service providers (Outlook/Gmail) provide different domain and business controls that restrict the size of files and help validate the email's sender using cryptographic controls. This can also be done with third-party authentication applications that will determine if the domain for which the email was sent is reflective of a potentially compromised environment or whether it is legitimate. 4.URL Scanning This is where a user has clicked on a link and they have been taken to a potentially harmful website. Numerous applications can be used that will help to isolate these websites. Additionally, these sites can get reported in real-time as they are continuously uncovered and added to the list of potential threats. While we would hope that our end users would do the right thing and not click on the links in emails, we know that if they do, we need to have a remediation plan in place. Connecting these reporting applications to your already robust white or blacklisted sites will help to restrict which sites your users are going to be able to access. This will help reduce the number of potential sites accessed within the business. This can be crucial when you are targeted by a phishing campaign, as you will want to restrict or prevent your end users from clicking on a potentially harmful link to a compromised site. This is especially helpful if you see several emails or other such communications come in from the same address or domain. Summary While we can't do everything that would prevent our end users from potentially clicking on a phishing email, we must focus on these best practice areas and start to combat the threat that phishing has on our organizations. Whether you conduct phishing tests or simulated phishing campaigns, the end users must understand that they can help prevent a compromise of the network by being cautious as to whom they respond to and what information they provide.
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