Your business can fall victim to a cyber-attack faster than you think – and it isn’t always because a threat actor hitched a ride on your vendor’s latest software update. Sometimes all it takes is one tired employee who isn’t paying attention, and before you even have the opportunity to react, your entire company has been brought to a standstill. Your staff cannot access important files, your data is being held hostage, and your clients are getting frustrated.
But simply clicking on a phishing link doesn’t have to turn into a full-blown crisis. The good news is that with the right knowledge, you still have time to mitigate any potential damage and protect your business.
Learn how you can effectively stop social engineering attacks
What is a Phishing Scam Email?
A phishing scam email is a fraudulent message designed to trick the user into compromising your business’ security. Typically, those responsible want their victim to reveal sensitive information or download malware onto a company device. From there, they can launch further attacks designed to bring them closer to their ultimate goal.
A phishing email will always appear to be from a legitimate entity such as a coworker, bank, or external vendor. It, like all forms of social engineering, is built to take advantage of human nature. Those responsible are hoping the user won’t question the information they are given until it is too late. This makes phishing extremely dangerous, as it is able to bypass almost all traditional security measures by focusing instead on the human element of your business.
How to Recognise One
A phishing email’s apparent similarity to legitimate messages makes them difficult to spot – and unfortunately, new technologies such as AI are not helping. Modern threat actors can craft emails that look almost identical to the real thing. The good news is that, because of the way these scams function, there will always be a few tell-tale signs:
- Emotional Manipulation: Phishing attempts try to induce an emotion, such as fear or anticipation, or a sense of urgency. Threat actors do this to prevent their target from thinking clearly. The moment a user stops to truly consider the situation at hand, they will usually realise it doesn’t make sense – so an attacker will do everything they can to prevent this.
- Details That Don’t Quite Add Up: Email addresses, web domains, and other contact details may be slightly off. This happens either because the malicious actor responsible made an error, or because they were unable to secure the address they needed. These differences will often be very small – for example, an email address may say “business.@email.com” instead of “business@email.com”. The hope is that you will skim this information without noticing the error.
- Discouragement of Verification: If you threaten to independently verify information (for instance, by calling the person they claim to be), an attacker will react negatively. The last thing they want is for you to contact someone who will reveal the scam. They may even become aggressive or make threats.
- Unexpected Attachments and a Call-to-Action: A phishing email will often contain a malicious link or attachment, and will always include a call-to-action. The attacker wants you to do something that will compromise the business’ security. They may ask you to click the link, open the attachment, or send them information/money.
How to Prevent Phishing Attacks
While you cannot stop all malicious emails from reaching your inbox, there are plenty of ways to reduce your risk of falling victim. Here’s how to prevent phishing attacks:
- Think before you click: Avoid clicking on links or attachments until you know for certain what they are. In some cases you may be able to identify where a link leads by hovering over it.
- Verify the sender: Double-check email addresses and contact details. Always verify information on your own before taking action. If the sender becomes angry about this, take it as a warning sign.
- Use multifactor authentication (MFA): MFA will help protect sensitive accounts in the event that an employee does give away login credentials, by requiring multiple forms of verification before granting access.
- Use email security tools: Many email platforms provide built-in security tools and filter options. Utilise these to minimise the number of phishing scams your staff are exposed to.
- Educate your team: Staff training is arguably your most useful defence against social engineering attacks. Almost all tactics a threat actor can use are rendered ineffective if your team can recognise them in action. Teach employees about the warning signs of a phishing email, how they should respond, and when they should report a suspected attack.
What to Do if You Accidentally Clicked a Phishing Link
What if you or a staff member have already accidentally clicked a phishing link?
First of all, don’t panic. Accidents happen, and there is still plenty you can do to minimise risk. If you have reason to believe your business may have been compromised by a phishing attack, follow these steps immediately:
1. Disconnect from the internet
Unplug your Ethernet cable or disconnect from Wi-Fi. This will isolate the breach, preventing lateral movement across your network. Do not allow anyone to use the device for work purposes, and don’t transfer any files.
2. Don’t enter any information
Do not, under any circumstances, input sensitive information on that device. If someone already did, take note of what was entered.
3. Alert your IT team or Service Provider
Notify internal or external IT support immediately. They can provide valuable advice on what to do next.
4. Run a virus/malware scan
Scan the affected device for any malware or viruses. If a harmful program was installed without your knowledge, this step may remove it.
5. Change password
Change any compromised login credentials. If the same credentials were used on any other account, change those as well. Often after obtaining a password, the first thing a threat actor will do is try it on every account to see how much they can access.
6. Monitor accounts
In the days following the incident, carefully monitor all important accounts for unusual activity – including bank and email accounts. If you encounter an anomaly, treat it as an active threat.
7. Provide Training
Use the breach as a learning opportunity. Explain to your staff, what happened, what exactly went wrong, and how it can be prevented in the future. This reinforces their cyber awareness – and if you are the person who caused the breach, it will help demonstrate that this can happen to anyone.
Do I Need to Report This?
Under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme, you are legally obligated to report an attack that you believe may cause harm to individuals. You must promptly inform the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as well as anyone who may have been impacted.
Even if the incident does not fall under the NDB scheme, you should report it to your IT team and any affected individuals. Your IT support must know so that they can:
- Investigate the scope of the attack
- Notify others who may have received the same message
- Update filters or block malicious domains
- Take steps to prevent future incidents
Reporting an attack will not harm your reputation – to the contrary, it looks far better than hiding it. A swift report helps protect your business as well as others, demonstrates your commitment to everyone’s safety, and prevents potential legal penalties.
Cyber Vigilance Starts with You
No one wants to be the reason your business was compromised, but even the most cautious people make mistakes on occasion. The important thing is how you react. Accidentally clicking on a phishing link may be frightening, but it’s not the end of the world. A swift and decisive response that focuses on damage mitigation will build cyber resilience, ensuring stronger defences in the future.
If you need help protecting your business, you’re not alone. Many SMBs lack the resources to maintain in-house IT staff, leaving them vulnerable to attack. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Read our blog on cyber security services to learn about a cost-effective solution.
FAQs
In most cases, clicking is just the first step for the hacker. However, there is a rare type of attack called a "drive-by download." This is when a website is set up to automatically start downloading a virus as soon as the page loads. While modern browsers have built-in blocks to stop this, it is a reminder that you should always close the browser tab immediately if a site looks suspicious or starts acting strangely.
Before you click, you can hover your mouse over a link to see the real destination. Be careful if you see:
Misspelled Brand Names: For example, seeing "https://www.google.com/search?q=g00gle.com" instead of "https://www.google.com/search?q=google.com."
Extra Characters: Seeing "https://www.google.com/search?q=paypal-security-update.com" instead of just "paypal.com."
Shortened Links: Using services like Bitly or TinyURL to hide where the link actually goes.
Unusual Domains: A link ending in something strange like ".xyz" or ". top" instead of ".com" or ". com.au."
Hackers use a trick called "Typo squatting." They buy web addresses that are very similar to popular sites, hoping you will make a typing mistake. Some even use "homograph" attacks, where they use letters from different alphabets that look identical to ours (like a Cyrillic "o" instead of a standard "o"). To the human eye, the link looks perfect, but it sends you a completely different, dangerous server.
Phones can actually be more dangerous because the screens are smaller. On a computer, it is easy to see the full email address and the link destination. On the phone, the browser often hides the long URL, making it harder to spot a fake site. Additionally, we often check phones while we are distracted or on the go, making us more likely to click without thinking twice.
Sometimes, a phishing link isn't trying to steal your password; it's trying to steal your "session tokens" or cookies. These are small files that keep you logged into sites like Facebook or your bank, so you don't have to type your password every time. If a hacker steals these cookies, they can bypass your security and log into your accounts as if they were you, even if you have two-factor authentication (2FA) turned on.