How To Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks
Many phishing emails may be blocked by your email spam filters. However, scammers are constantly trying to outwit spam filters, so it’s a good idea to add additional layers of protection. Here are four steps you can take right now to safeguard yourself against phishing attacks.
What To Do if You Suspect a Phishing Attack
If you receive an email or a text message instructing you to click a link or open an attachment, consider the following: Do I have an account with the company or do I know the person who contacted me?
If the answer is “No,” you may be the victim of a phishing scam. Return to the How to Recognize Phishing section and look for signs of a phishing scam. If you see one, report it and then delete it.
If the answer is “Yes,” contact the company via a phone number or website that you know is legitimate. Not the information contained in the email. Attachments and links have the potential to install malicious malware.
Four Steps to Stay Safe From Phishing
- Protect your computer by using security software. Set the software to automatically update so that it can deal with any new security threats.
- Set your mobile phone’s software to automatically update. These updates may provide you with critical security protection.
- Use multi-factor authentication to secure your accounts. Some accounts provide additional security by requiring two or more credentials to log in. This is referred to as multi-factor authentication. The additional credentials required to log in to your account are classified into two types:
- Something you have — like a passcode you get via an authentication app or a security key.
- Something you are — like a scan of your fingerprint, your retina, or your face.
If scammers obtain your username and password, multi-factor authentication makes it more difficult for them to log in to your accounts.
- Back up your data to protect it. Make a backup of your data and ensure that it is not connected to your home network. You can save your computer files to an external hard drive or to the cloud. Back up your phone’s data as well.
