{"id":2420,"date":"2020-04-05T23:12:41","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T17:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kratikal.com\/blog\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2024-08-14T15:30:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T10:00:14","slug":"avoid-spear-phishing-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Tips to Avoid Spear Phishing Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Did you know that targeted emails or spear phishing attacks are used in 91% of successful data breaches and in 95% of network attacks in the enterprise? In a cybersecurity survey, 56% of IT decision-makers stated that spear phishing attacks are major security threats! But what are these \u201ctargeted\u201d<span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong> <a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/perfect-phishing-attack-a-penetration-testers-perspective\/\">phishing<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>attacks? Let\u2019s proceed further to find out!<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#The_Infamous_Targeted_Phishing_Attacks\" >The Infamous Targeted Phishing Attacks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_People_Security_Expert\" >Book a Free Demo Call with Our People Security Expert<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#Enter_your_details\" >Enter your details<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#How_Spear_Phishing_Work_-Explained\" >How Spear Phishing Work -Explained<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#How_to_Identify_Spear_Phishing_Emails_to_Stay_Secure\" >How to Identify Spear Phishing Emails to Stay Secure?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/avoid-spear-phishing-attack\/#Tips_to_Avoid_Spear_Phishing_Attacks\" >Tips to Avoid Spear Phishing Attacks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Infamous_Targeted_Phishing_Attacks\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>The Infamous Targeted Phishing Attacks<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Today, around 91% of cyber-attacks are deployed using a spear phishing email and about 94% of these targeted emails consist of malicious file attachments that are the payload or source of malware. These targeted phishing emails have increasingly become the common way of deploying cyber-attacks to gain the personal information of vulnerable users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">These infamous <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/difference-between-spear-phishing-and-phishing\/\"><strong>spear phishing<\/strong><\/a><\/span> attacks are email scams that are targeted toward any specific individual or organization. The motive is to steal sensitive and financial information of the targeted victim for malicious reasons. This attack is deployed with well-prepared schemes of acquiring the victim\u2019s personal information through available resources or information present online.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n\n<head>\n    <meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n    <meta http-equiv=\"X-UA-Compatible\" content=\"IE=edge\">\n    <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n    <title>Document<\/title>\n<\/head>\n\n<style>\n    .interestedBtn {\n        width: 80% !important;\n        box-sizing: border-box !important;\n        display: inline-block !important;\n        padding: 11px !important;\n        border: 1px !important;\n        border-color: #ddd !important;\n        margin-top: 10px !important;\n        background-color: #183e8b !important;\n        background-image: none !important;\n        text-shadow: none !important;\n        color: #fff !important;\n        font-size: 14px !important;\n        line-height: 20px !important;\n        border-radius: 5px !important;\n        margin: 0 !important;\n        cursor: pointer !important;\n        box-shadow: 0px 4.66px 22.99px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.10);;\n    }\n\n\n        .formSec .formSecTwo{\n            padding-top: 15px !important;\n            margin-bottom: 30px !important;\n        }\n\n\n    .tnp-email {\n        width: 80% !important;\n        box-sizing: border-box;\n        padding: 8px 10px;\n        display: inline-block;\n        border: 1px solid #ced4da;\n        background: #fff;\n        color: #000 !important;\n        font-size: 13px;\n        line-height: 20px;\n        border-radius: 2px;\n        padding-right: 30px;\n        margin-bottom: 0px;\n    }\n\n    .formSec {\n        border: 1px solid #ced4da;\n        float: left !important;\n        width: 55% !important;\n    }\n\n    .mainBox {\n       \/* border: 1px solid #183e8b;*\/\n         background: white;\n        max-width: 600px !important;\n        margin: 0 auto !important;\n        padding: 20px !important;\n        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;\n    }\n\n    .boxDiv {\n        display: flex !important;\n    }\n\n    .boxConsult {\n        float: left !important;\n        width: 45% !important;\n        padding: 10px !important;\n    }\n\n    .formSecTwo {\n        text-align:center !important;\n        width: 100% !important;\n    }\n\n    .formHeading {\n        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\n        margin-top: 0px;\n        font-weight: 700;\n        line-height: 25px;\n        font-size: 18px !important;\n        \n       margin-bottom: 60px !important;\n       color: #000!important;\n          margin-top: 5px !important;\n    }\n\n    .fieldHeading {\n        margin: 0 !important;\n        font-size: 13px !important;\n        text-align: left !important;\n        margin: 0px 39px 2px 93px !important;\n        font-weight: 500 !important;\n    }\n\n    .image {\n        max-width:90% !important;\n        height: auto !important;\n    }\n\n     .email-icon {\n            position: absolute;\n            right: 50px;\n             top: 20px;\n            transform: translateY(-50%);\n            pointer-events: none; \n        }\n\n          .email-container{\n             position: relative;\n         \n        }\n       \n\n        .email-icon img{\n                 width: 15px;\n        }\n\n\n         input::placeholder {\n            color:#495057;\n        }\n\n\n     ::placeholder {\n        color: #495057;\n    }\n\n        ::-ms-input-placeholder { \n          color:#495057;\n        }\n\n\n        input:-webkit-autofill {\n            background-color: transparent !important;\n            -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 0px 1000px white inset !important; \n            box-shadow: 0 0 0px 1000px white inset !important;\n            color: #495057 !important; \n        }\n\n        \n        input {\n            color:#495057 !important;\n        }\n\n\n    @media screen and (max-width: 480px) {\n        .boxDiv {\n            display: block !important;\n            padding: 15px !important;\n         \n        }\n\n        .image{\n        width: 80% !important;\n         margin-bottom: 14px;\n        }\n        .fieldHeading {\n            text-align: left !important;\n            margin: unset !important;\n        }\n\n        .boxConsult {\n            width: unset !important;\n            float: none !important;\n        }\n\n        .mainBox {\n            border: unset !important;\n        }\n\n        .formSec {\n            float: unset !important;\n            width: 100% !important;\n        }\n\n        .formSecTwo {\n            text-align: center !important;\n        }\n\n        .tnp-email {\n            width: 90% !important;\n        }\n\n        .formHeading {\n            margin-bottom: unset !important;\n        }\n\n         .email-icon {\n            position: absolute;\n            right: 25px;\n            top: 58%;\n            transform: translateY(-50%);\n            pointer-events: none; \/* Make sure the icon doesn't block clicking on the input *\/\n        }\n       \n        .email-container{\n             position: relative;\n        }\n\n    }\n<\/style>\n\n<body>\n\n    <div class=\"mainBox\" box-sizing:=\"\" border-box;=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"boxDiv\">\n\n            <div class=\"boxConsult\">\n                <div>\n                    <h3 class=\"formHeading\" style=\" font-size: 16px !important;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_People_Security_Expert\"><\/span>\n                        Book a Free Demo Call with Our People Security Expert<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n                <\/div>\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/form.svg\" class=\"image\">\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"formSec\">\n                <div class=\" formSecTwo\">\n                    <h4 style=\"margin-top: 0; font-size: 16px !important;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enter_your_details\"><\/span>Enter your details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n                    <div class=\"tnp tnp-subscription-minimal\">\n                        <form action=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/thankyou-blog\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\">\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n\n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"text\" required=\"\" name=\"FullName\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Full Name\">\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon01.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"email\" required=\"\" name=\"email\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Corporate Email Id\">\n                                     <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon02.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"text\" required=\"\" name=\"CompanyName\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Company Name\">\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon03.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"number\" required=\"\" name=\"Phone\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Phone No.\"><br>\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon04.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"BlogForm\" value=\"BlogForm\"><br>\n                            <input class=\"tnp-submit interestedBtn\" name=\"submit\" type=\"submit\"\n                                value=\"SUBMIT\">\n\n                        <\/form>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<\/body>\n\n<\/html>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Spear_Phishing_Work_-Explained\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>How Spear Phishing Work -Explained<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">These cyber attackers target victims who upload their personal information online, especially on social networking sites. By using a fake profile, they trace the targeted victim\u2019s personal email address, geographic location, list of friends, or any recent purchases that they have made.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Once these cyber crooks get all the required information about the victim, they disguise themselves as a trustworthy source or entity to obtain the targeted user\u2019s sensitive information by sending a spoofed email.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">On the other hand, expert spear phishing attacks involve phishers impersonating a trustworthy organization or individual in an email address to make it look like a legitimate email. They make a plausible request to have the targeted user fall for the bait with valid email content.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-10672\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/how-spear-phishing-works.png\" alt=\"Diagrammatic explanation of how spear phishing attack works\" class=\"wp-image-10672\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Diagrammatic explanation of how spear phishing attack works<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">As for the increase in the success rate of spear phishing, the message contains attention-gaining urgent requests, explaining why sensitive information is required. Also, the victims are tricked to click on the malicious email attachments that redirect them to spoofed web pages or sites.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">These fraud pages ask victims to provide their login credentials, account numbers, PINs, or access information to unauthorized files. In the aftermath of this process, these cybercriminals misuse passwords or sensitive information to access other websites that hold confidential information such as financial details related to credit cards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">With everything obtained, these cybercriminals become empowered to easily access the victim&#8217;s bank account or create a new identity by using all the information of the victim. This spear phishing also tricks targeted users into downloading malicious codes or malware attachments provided in the message.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Identify_Spear_Phishing_Emails_to_Stay_Secure\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>How to Identify Spear Phishing Emails to Stay Secure?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Spear phishing attacks have become highly sophisticated and complex in nature nowadays. No matter how effective these attacks are, these following ways can help to spot spear phishing emails:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Spoofed domain and sender\u2019s address:<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Spear phishing usually involves domain spoofing and impersonation of the legitimate identity in the email\u2019s sender address.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Email subject line:<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Panic arising email subject lines include words like Request, Follow up, Urgent, Important, Payment Status, etc. that initiates a sense of duty to comply with the message request.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Email content hygiene:<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">To spot a spear phishing email, check message content for grammatical errors or spelling mistakes as phishers usually leave complex clues, thinking these hidden clues would go unnoticed.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Attachment landmines:<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Hackers know how email attachments are easy bait for getting victims into clicking on a fake document or link regardless of the expectancy of the attachment.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_to_Avoid_Spear_Phishing_Attacks\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Tips to Avoid Spear Phishing Attacks<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">According to cybersecurity researchers, spear phishing attacks are highly dangerous in nature as they are designed with the concept to get around the traditional email security filters. These emails typically do not include malicious attachments. Instead, they use email spoofing techniques along with social engineering tactics that are less likely to be blocked.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">But with the advanced cybersecurity tools and solutions, <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/prevent-phishing-attacks\/\">preventing phishing <\/a><\/strong><\/span>attacks is possible! Here are the best five ways to help you prevent spear phishing emails from landing in your email inbox:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Implementation <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of Email Authentication Protocols<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">What could be better than implementing <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/tdmarc\">DMARC<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol to prevent these email-based attacks? The DMARC relies on two main established email authentication standards, <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/spf-authentication\/\">SPF<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (Sender Policy Framework) &amp; <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dkim\/\">DKIM<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (DomainKeys Identified Mail). This authentication protocol analyses the email against the database to check if any record matches the sender&#8217;s email. In case it doesn\u2019t then the email is rejected and the report is submitted to the security administrator. DMARC ensures that no fake or spoofed email reaches end-users.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>2. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Using multi-factor authentication for emails can surely help in mitigating the risk of falling to spear phishing attacks. It is an extra layer of security for the data of users. In case if a hacker holds any information, it will need to bypass this layer of security which will lead to two steps of identification. MFA asks for a randomly generated token from the user or a one-time password or an extra login to ensure that the accessing user is a legitimate identity.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&nbsp; &nbsp; 3. Risk Assessment<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For any organization, it is important to take a cybersecurity risk assessment to find out the level of vulnerability existing in the working environment. A cybersecurity risk assessment is a better way to identify the cyber threat posture of an organization by running phishing simulation attacks on employees. Employees are the most vulnerable resource and the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain of an organization. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-10674\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"280\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/phishing.gif\" alt=\"Importance of employee awareness training\" class=\"wp-image-10674\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Importance of employee awareness training<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to turn them into the strongest link and help them in recognizing phishing emails, it is important to provide them with proper cyber <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/benefits-and-purpose-of-security-awareness-training\/\">security awareness training<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. There are various leading risk assessment tools that offer to train employees with phishing attack simulations and knowledge imparting spear-phishing<\/span>&nbsp;awareness<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other cyber attack vectors.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4. Verify Suspicious Emails&nbsp;<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">If you receive an email that looks too good to be legitimate, make sure to get it verified by the IT security team of your organization. Or for a better and easier way, use incident response tools to get all the suspicious-looking emails verified and avoid them from landing in your inbox again. Spear phishing security tools like <span style=\"color: #183994;\"><strong>phishing incident response tools<\/strong><\/span> allow users to report emails that look fraudulent in nature in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&nbsp; &nbsp; 5. Don\u2019t Respond Immediately<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">A lot of email scams use panic-creating email content that raises the sense of urgency within the user to respond to that email. Such emails either ask for sensitive information like account details, passwords, and credit card details, or ask users to click on the malicious email attachments. It is important to read and give a second look at such suspicious emails before falling for them. Be careful in checking for the sender\u2019s email address and verifying the email\u2019s content.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cybersecurity is a two-way street. In order to keep your organization safe and secure, it is important to <\/span><b>implement <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><b> follow<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cybersecurity best practices!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Let us know what are your suggestions on spear phishing in the comments section below.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Thank you for stopping by to read this blog, we hope that you had a good read!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that targeted emails or spear phishing attacks are used in 91% of successful data breaches and in 95% of network attacks in the enterprise? In a cybersecurity survey, 56% of IT decision-makers stated that spear phishing attacks are major security threats! But what are these \u201ctargeted\u201d phishing attacks? Let\u2019s proceed further to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cybersecurity-awareness","category-social-engineering"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 Best Tips to Avoid Spear Phishing Attacks | Threatcop<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Did you know that in a cybersecurity survey, 56% of IT decision-makers stated that spear phishing attack is a major security threat!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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