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Cybersecurity – Think Before You Click

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Overview

  • October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and this year’s theme is “See yourself in Cyber.” The idea behind this theme is to highlight how, even though cybersecurity can often be seen as a complicated subject, it all boils down to people. By practising Cybersecurity basics like “Think Before You Click”, each of us can do our part to combat the risks of cyber-attacks.

Think Before You Click

According to the IBM Cost of Data Breach Report 2022, Phishing attacks account for 16% of stolen or compromised credentials and have an average cost of $4.9 million. Stolen or compromised credentials are by far the most common type of data breach and take the longest time for cybersecurity experts to identify. Because of the prevalence of phishing attacks, it is paramount that we all ‘Think Before You Click.’

Links, Links, Links

Whether you are answering emails at work, chatting to friends and family on WhatsApp or browsing the web, links are a part of our everyday life. So much so that we often do not even think before clicking on a link.

A computer, open on an email application, with email notifications floating around it.

Because of the widespread use of links, it is easy for attackers to use malicious links to gather sensitive business and personal information such as logins, bank details, and intellectual property.

Malicious Links

Often, a malicious phishing email can resemble an official email, convincingly copying the layout and format exactly. These emails can include links designed to gather sensitive information or even enable the attackers to take complete control of your account.

Green WhatsApp Icon connected by lines to other WhatsApp icons on a black background.

Another popular method of distributing malicious links is by sharing them via messaging services like WhatsApp or Messenger. These links will often resemble a link to a funny story or video to encourage unsuspecting users to share it with their own contacts.

What You Can Do

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends the following:

“Think Before You Click: Recognize and Report Phishing: If a link looks a little off, think before you click. It could be an attempt to get sensitive information or install malware.”

If you do not recognize the URL in the link, or it is not the same URL as the company you have supposedly received it from then do not click on it, rather report it as spam to your mail provider.

Phishing Explained In 6 Minutes – Cyber Security Training

Glossary

  • Cybersecurity — Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks. IBM
  • Phishing attacks — Phishing attacks are the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source. It is usually done through email. CISCO

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