What is a phishing attack? Everything you need to know

Phishing is one of those sneaky ways that can fool even the most vigilant. Cybercriminals don’t forcibly break in – instead, they pretend to be the bank, office or company you recruited for a few months earlier. In practice, it looks like a simple email, SMS or website that looks deceptively like the real one. Except that its sole purpose is to scam our data or money.

At ITH, we are well aware that digital security is not a luxury, but a necessity. That’s why we not only create reliable networks for our clients, but also teach them how not to get caught in the phishing trap. Because a peaceful business is one that operates securely every day.

Phishing: what is it and how do the attacks work?

Phishing attacks are based on psychology. Their goal is to get the victim to perform a specific action: click a link, open an attachment or fill out a short online form. This could be a message from a bank, a courier company or even from a friend on social media.

And this no longer applies only to individuals. Increasingly, businesses are being targeted, where one careless click can really cost a lot – loss of data, money and sometimes even customer trust. That’s why it’s so important not only to have good equipment and security, but also to know how to recognize threats.

Example?

Mr. Jan received an email about an overdue payment. In the body of the message was a link leading to a fake website, confusingly similar to the bank’s real site. After logging in, his access data, credit card numbers or confidential information fell into the hands of cybercriminals.

Fake news to phish for confidential information? Not just email!

Phishing is one of those threats that tries to approach us with cleverness. That’s what makes it work so effectively. Anyone can become a victim of phishing, even someone who is aware of digital threats. All you have to do is click on an infected link, download a fake attachment or hurriedly enter your login information – and you’re done. Problem ready. And if you’re part of a company, one careless move can open the door to the entire organization. And that’s why phishing is not just an IT issue today, but a topic for the entire team – from reception to management.

At ITH, we have been helping companies build resilience to digital threats for years. On the one hand – we design secure networks and IT environments. On the other – we educate teams, because technology is only half the battle. The other half is people. We teach how to recognize suspicious messages, what to pay attention to and how not to get caught by social engineering tricks.

Because for us, security is more than firewalls and passwords. It’s awareness, vigilance and proper habits – every day, in every company, regardless of size.

What do criminals want?

Usually the acquisition of confidential information is involved, such as:

• login data for e-mail accounts and corporate systems,

• Credit card numbers and payment card data,

• Access to the company’s bank account or IT systems,

• Sms codes to confirm login,

• home addresses and PESELs, which they use to further fraud.

The goal, then, is to take control of accounts, steal funds or reveal sensitive information that can be used in subsequent attacks.

Phishing is based on trust

Phishing emails can be elaborate and unsuspecting, but nevertheless, always consider whether the email you received is fully credible.

What to look out for in particular?

• Language errors and typos – Messages like “Your accounts will be closed!” or “Click here to confirm data” are classics of the genre. Spelling errors are a clear signal that something is wrong.

• Requests for confidential data – No one will ask you for your password or card number via email or SMS. If someone does, a red light goes on right away.

• Time pressure – “Click now or we will block your account!”, “15 minutes left!”. This is classic manipulation – the idea is to get you to act quickly, without thinking.

• Strange links – Sometimes all it takes is a look at the link address for something to go wrong. Strange typos, endings from outer space or just…. something doesn’t fit here.

• Emails from strangers – If someone writes to you and you have no idea who they are or what they want – don’t click anything. Or at least check that the email address looks reasonable.

At ITH, we encounter this topic almost every day. That’s why we not only help companies secure their systems and networks, but also teach people how not to get approached. Because the truth is that even the best firewall can’t do anything if someone clicks on the wrong link. That’s why we focus not only on technology, but also on awareness – because it’s what saves companies from trouble in practice.

Spear phishing – a targeted form of attack

One of the more dangerous forms of phishing is spear phishing. In this case, cybercriminals attack a specific person – usually a company employee or a person from the financial department. Such a scam attempt may be preceded by a long search in social networks, and the attacking phishing messages are perfectly prepared – they know the name, surname, company name and sometimes even the name of the boss.

So the message looks very professional. It could be, for example, an urgent request from a “boss” to transfer money to a “new contractor account,” or information from a “supplier” with a “new invoice” attached. There are no typos, suspicious links or strange senders. Instead, there is an emphasis on time, trust and a semblance of professionalism.

And that’s why spear phishing so often works. Because when something looks like an everyday, corporate affair – it’s easy to react automatically. One click, one transfer – and the damage can go into tens or even hundreds of thousands of zlotys.

At ITH, we know well how much such an attack can threaten a company – and how difficult it is to recognize it without proper preparation. That’s why we support our clients not only technically, but also educationally. We teach what spear phishing looks like in practice, how to recognize subtle warning signals and – most importantly – how to protect against it. Because sometimes it is just one well-trained employee who can save a company from huge losses.

How can we help you? ITH in the service of security!

In the face of growing threats, it is not worth acting alone. Trust the specialists at ITH Net – a company with more than 30 years of experience in IT security. Our incident response team offers comprehensive protection against phishing attacks: from threat analysis to employee training to suspicious activity monitoring and network security configuration.

Online threats don’t sleep – so we don’t sleep either. W ITH Net We make sure that your business can run smoothly, regardless of what’s happening “on the other side of the wire.” Here’s how we can support you.

IT security consulting and audits

Not sure if your company is well secured? We’ll check it – thoroughly and with concrete conclusions. We conduct audits, analyze risks and suggest what to improve. It’s not a ready-made template, but an approach tailored to the specifics of your business.

Configuration of spam filters and antivirus software

Not every message deserves a place in your inbox. We help you implement effective mechanisms that filter out spam and block malicious content before it reaches your employees. A well-set system means fewer threats and less time spent deleting strange emails.

Protecting email and online services

Your mail is the gateway to your business – and one of the main sources of attacks. We protect it against impersonation, data leakage and phishing attempts. The same goes for online services – we monitor and protect access to company resources so you can rest easy. Examples of phishing can be multiplied, but we know how to deal with all of them.

Instant response to incidents (cooperation with CERT Poland)

Something has gone wrong? We act right away. Our team responds to incidents quickly and effectively – we analyze the situation, block further threats and help you get back to normal operations. If necessary, we cooperate with the CERT Poland team – the national cyber security unit.

Full 24/7 technical support

Problems with the network, mail, security? No matter what time of day or night we are on call. For our customers, we are like the IT fire department: always on standby, always helpful. Because security has no working hours.

Are you a victim of phishing? It’s not a sentence!

It may seem that clicking on the sender’s email, which had a virus, is the end of it. Nothing can be done, and the data will start flying around the Darknet. Nothing could be further from the truth! Even if you click on an email from an unknown source, you still have plenty of room to maneuver.

Identify what exactly happened

Did you click the link? Did you download the file? Did you enter your login information? The sooner you determine this, the better you can respond.

Change passwords – right away

Start with the most important ones: mail, bank, corporate accounts, cloud access. If you have been using the same passwords in several places – change them everywhere. And by the way: it’s a good idea to use a password manager and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).

Scan your computer

Use a proven antivirus or antimalware program to make sure it is not infected. In some cases, it is a good idea to have such a scan done by a specialist, such as the ITH Net team.

Disconnect your computer from the network

If the computer behaves strangely – it is better to disconnect it before the virus starts spreading further, such as through the company network.

Check login and activity history

It’s worth checking whether someone has already logged into your account from elsewhere. On some services (e.g. Google, Microsoft, Facebook) you can see the locations of recent logins and log out unknown devices.

Contact us

If you operate in a company – be sure to inform our team about the incident. If you are a smaller company or a private user – you can report the incident to the CERT Polska team. We support our customers not only in preventing attacks, but also in responding effectively when something has already happened.

Safety starts with common sense and ends with good partners

Phishing attacks remain one of the biggest challenges to digital security. They are not only a problem for individual users, but also a serious threat to companies, institutions and government. It is important to understand what phishing is: what it is, how it works, and how to protect yourself from it. We hope that our description of phishing messages, will be helpful to you!

Examples of phishing in practice:

• Private Messages:

Dear customer, we have detected a suspicious login on your account. To secure it, please click the link below and confirm your identity.

The content of such a message may include a bank employee’s name, logo and footer. The link leads to a fake site that extorts confidential information.

• Fake SMS message from courier company

Your package was not delivered due to an incorrect address. Click here to confirm your information and pay XXX PLN for reshipment.

This is a way of extorting small amounts of money, which often does not cause concern. Especially since the amounts are generally very small.

And finally, a small summary of phishing techniques:

• Don’t click on suspicious links and don’t give out data if something seems even slightly suspicious.

• Keep your software up to date and use decent, hard-to-crack passwords.

• Don’t be afraid to use specialists who really know their stuff.

At ITH Net, we take a concrete, practical and partnership approach to security. We won’t barrage you with jargon, but rather find viable solutions that work for your business.

If you want to make sure your business is well protected from phishing and other threats – just get back to us. We can help. We have experience in solving computer incidents and are very familiar with how online scammers work. We know how to recognize phishing and how to deal with it!

Visit https://ith.eu/ith-net and secure your business today!