Cyber Awareness Training

Social Engineering Attacks: Phishing and Spear Phishing

Most people are familiar with the term “phishing”, which is a type of cyber attack that uses email or malicious websites to attempt to steal sensitive information such as login credentials or credit card numbers. Phishing attacks are usually automated, mass-produced messages that are sent out to a large number of people in the hopes that a few will take the bait and respond.

Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that is targeted at a specific individual or organization. The attacker will usually do their research to find out as much as possible about their target before sending out the phishing email, making it appear more legitimate and less likely to be spotted as a fake.

One of the most common methods of spear phishing is called “whaling”, which is when attackers target high-profile individuals within an organization such as the CEO, CFO, or other executives. These attacks can be extremely damaging since the attackers often have access to sensitive information such as financial data or confidential company plans.

Another type of spear phishing attack is called “vishing”, which is when attackers use voice calls or VoIP (Voice over IP) to try and trick victims into giving them sensitive information. This can be done by impersonating a customer service representative from a bank or other institution and asking for account numbers or login credentials.

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Employee Training Programs: Secure Browsing Habits

When it comes to online security, browsing habits play a big role. That’s why it’s important for employees to have cyber awareness training that covers best practices for browsing the internet safely.

There are a few key things employees should keep in mind when it comes to browsing the internet safely:

• Use a secure browser: A secure browser is a web browser that has security features built in to help protect users from online threats. Some examples of secure browsers include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
• Keep browser and security software up to date: It’s important to keep your browser and security software up to date to help protect against the latest online threats. Be sure to install updates as soon as they’re available.
• Use strong passwords: Strong passwords are important for protecting your online accounts. Be sure to use a different password for each account, and make sure your passwords are long and complex.
• Avoid clicking on links in email: Emails are a common way for cybercriminals to deliver malware. Avoid clicking on links in email, even if they appear to be from a trusted source. If you’re not sure if an email is legitimate, contact the sender directly to verify before clicking on any links.
• Don’t download files from unknown sources: Only download files from trusted sources. Downloading files from unknown or untrustworthy sources can lead to malware infection.
• Be cautious of public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi networks are often not secure. Avoid conducting sensitive activities, such as online banking or shopping, on public Wi-Fi. If you must use public Wi-Fi, be sure to use a VPN to help protect your data.

Following these tips can help employees stay safe while browsing the internet. However, it’s important to remember that no security measure is 100% effective. The best way to protect against online threats is to have a multi-layered approach that includes both technical and non-technical measures.

Incident Reporting and Response

It’s important to have a plan in place for how your organization will respond to a cyber incident. An incident response plan (IRP) is a set of procedures for handling incidents that involve information security, whether they are caused by human error, natural disasters, or malicious attacks.

The goal of an IRP is to contain the damage and minimize the disruption to your operations. To do this, you need to identify the people and resources that will be involved in the response, and you need to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done.

There are four main steps in incident response:

1. Prepare: Develop policies and procedures, and designate team members and their roles.
2. Detect: Identify and assess incidents.
3. Respond: Take appropriate actions to contain and mitigate the incidents.
4. Recover: Restore normal operations and update your policies and procedures based on what you learned from the incident.

Each step in the incident response process is important, but the prepare and recover steps are critical for ensuring that your organization is prepared to handle incidents effectively.

The prepare step involves developing policies and procedures for incident response, and for identifying and training team members. It’s important to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done before an incident occurs.

The recover step is just as important, if not more so. This is when you review your policies and procedures and update them based on what you learned from the incident. This step is also when you train new team members and make sure that everyone is up to date on the latest procedures.

incident response is a complex process, and it’s important to have a plan in place before an incident occurs. By taking the time to prepare and recover, you can ensure that your organization is ready to handle whatever comes your way.