The PSNI’s Cyber Crime Centre have advised local businesses to be on their guard around phishing attacks.

The warning follows reports of several local businesses, in particular those within the planning and legal sectors, being targeted by scammers.

The Cyber Protect team have released the common pattern of the recent attacks:

– An employee receives a phishing email that appears to be from a known contact.

– The recipient is directed to a webpage displaying a pdf icon and the word ‘Open’

– On attempting to open the PDF, the victim is taken to a fake ‘Sign In’ page which is designed to capture username and password credentials.

Phishing can target businesses no matter what size or industry that they are in.

How to stay protected from phishing attempts

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from phishing attempts:

1. Be cautious of emails, messages, or websites that ask for personal information. Verify the authenticity of any requests for sensitive information by contacting the organisation directly.

2. Check the URL of any website you visit to ensure it is legitimate. Cyber criminals often create fake websites with URLs that are similar to legitimate ones.

3. Install anti-phishing software and keep it up to date. Anti-phishing software can help detect and block phishing attempts.

4. Use strong and unique passwords for all your online accounts. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.

5. Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring a code in addition to your password.

6. Keep your operating system and software up to date with the latest security patches. Cyber criminals often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software to launch phishing attacks.

7. Educate yourself about phishing attacks and stay informed about the latest threats. Knowing how to recognise and avoid phishing attempts can help protect you from becoming a victim.

At Nimbus, we protect our clients emails with software that can detect and spot phishing attempts before they reach your inbox.