DON’T GET LURED BY THESE PHISHING SCAMS There’s Always Another Phish in the Sea
Phishing scams are a tried-and- true way for cybercriminals to gain access to private information. In these attacks, hackers disguise nefarious software as innocent-looking communication. They are so named
platform — masquerading as official customer support accounts. When a customer registers an issue, they are asked for information that is then used to exploit their account. SHIPPING INFO SCAM An internet security company called Comodo discovered this hack last July. It targeted small businesses by delivering emails to their inboxes with the subject line “Shipping Information.” A tracking link in the body of the email caused malware to be installed on the user’s computer, giving hackers backdoor access to sensitive business information, including credit card accounts. HOW TO AVOID BEING LURED The best defense against phishing scams is vigilance. Hackers rely on careless clicks to gain information. Any links that arrive in unprompted emails should be avoided. If you engage with customer service on social media, do some research to ensure the account is authentic. Even better, only seek support from the company’s website, rather than using an intermediary. The team at AZCOMP can help ensure that your network has up- to-date protection. If you’re worried about being vulnerable to an attack of any kind, we can help. NEED NETWORKING OR COMPUTER HELP?
because they lure the user into giving up their information. In the past, phishing scams most often took the form of emails, but hackers have become more sophisticated. Here are some of the forms phishing has taken in the past year. GOOGLE DOCS PHISHING A user may know to be wary of a text-only email, but something that looks like an official Google request is a lot harder to detect. Last May, 3 million Gmail users were sent fake editing requests for Google Docs. Once the user granted the request, hackers had access to their entire Gmail account. Because many Gmail users never use Google Docs, they mistook these attacks for legitimate requests. SOCIAL MEDIA PHISHING According to Infosecurity magazine, social media phishing grew more than 500 percent last year. In these “angular phishing” schemes, users create fake social media profiles — Twitter being the most prominent SPOTLIGHT ON JUSTIN HENNINGER
Justin Henninger has been an IT consultant here at AZCOMP for over two years now. During that
Call our direct support line: (480) 730-3055 Create a support ticket via email: ithelp@azcomp.com
time, he’s helped countless customers deal with difficult tech problems. To a lot of people, that probably sounds like a nightmare, but not to Justin. He relishes the opportunity to help people through their issues. “I especially like helping clients deal with difficult challenges,” he says. “Watching them go from stressed to relieved is the most rewarding part of my day.”
Learn more about how to get unlimited computer and networking support at azcomp.com/managed-services
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE REPORT “What Every Small-Business Owner Must Know About PROTECTING & PRESERVING Their Company’s Critical Data and Computer Systems” covers the essential information you need to know to keep your network safe. If you aren’t up-to-date on the latest in security, your network will be at risk.
When asked about his favorite part of working at AZCOMP, Justin replies, “I love the environment. It’s open, friendly, and a great place to come to work.” In addition to being a tech wizard, Justin is a husband, father, and avid golfer. He and his wife, Ann, have three wonderful children and a fourth on the way! Emery is 5, Brigham is 4, and Hudson is 2. They’ll be welcoming their second daughter soon. Congratulations, Justin and Ann.
This report is available for free at azcomp.com/protectyourdatareport . Download it today to ensure that your computer systems are as secure as possible. With this report, you can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing your e-valentine won’t contain a hidden virus.
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