Phishing works because it looks urgent and familiar. Staff who know the signs and have an easy way to check are the best defence a small business has.
The warning signs
Most scams share the same tricks.
- Urgency, such as pay now or your account closes today
- A sender address that is slightly off
- A request to change banking details
- Links that go somewhere other than they say
- Unexpected attachments
A routine that works
Never act on a request for money or logins from the message itself. Call the person on a number you already have, and report the message to whoever looks after IT.
Practise and praise
Share real examples in a short staff meeting, and thank people who report suspicious messages, even when they turn out to be harmless.