--- title: "Phishing: A Threat To Your Business And Employees | Phish Protection" description: "With the growing dependence on technology in today’s digital world, phishing attacks are also evolving by each passing the day." image: "https://phishprotection.com/og/blog/phishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees.png" canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees/" --- Quick Answer With the growing dependence on technology in today’s digital world, \*\*phishing attacks\*\* are also evolving by each passing the day. For those who refuse to accept this claim, we have broken down the 2019 version of the \[Phishing and Fraud statistics\](https://retruster.com/blog/2019-phishing-and-email-fraud-statistics.html), to prove that, so far, \_phishing has been the most extensive cyber threat to every large or small enterprise\_. Share [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees%2F "Share on LinkedIn") [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Phishing%3A%20A%20Threat%20To%20Your%20Business%20And%20Employees&url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees%2F "Share on X/Twitter") [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees%2F "Share on Facebook") [ ](https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees%2F&title=Phishing%3A%20A%20Threat%20To%20Your%20Business%20And%20Employees "Share on Reddit") [ ](mailto:?subject=Phishing%3A%20A%20Threat%20To%20Your%20Business%20And%20Employees&body=Check out this article: https%3A%2F%2Fphishprotection.com%2Fblog%2Fphishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees%2F "Share via Email") ![Phish Protection blog post image](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/06/office-365-email-protection-5566.jpg) With the growing dependence on technology in today’s digital world, **phishing attacks** are also evolving by each passing the day. For those who refuse to accept this claim, we have broken down the 2019 version of the [Phishing and Fraud statistics](https://retruster.com/blog/2019-phishing-and-email-fraud-statistics.html), to prove that, so far, _phishing has been the most extensive cyber threat to every large or small enterprise_. In phishing scams, humans are the most vulnerable. _Everyone from employees on a simple entry-level position to the CEO or even members of the board of directors could be the primary target and also the victims of phishing scams_, which **skilled hackers** explicitly plan to target the organizations. ### Email Fraud Statistics, 2019 - **Sixty per cent** of the current population in the _US has been exposed to such scam or security breaches at least once in their lifetime_. - Every year, organizations **spend over $13 million** to deal with the consequences of such sophisticated attacks. - If you think that large businesses are the only ones affected, then consider this, small businesses spend an average of **$500 every year** on safeguarding themselves from malicious phishing attacks. - _It can take as long as 50 days to discover or report a data breach_, enough time for some SMBs to go bust. - **Over 90 per cent** of data breaches are due to phishing attacks. - Seventy-six per cent of businesses reported being the victim of a **phishing scam** over the last year. - Of all targeted users, _around 30 per cent end up opening these fake emails_. - These **security breaches** are drastically increasing by around 11 per cent every year. _Phishing attacks use fake emails as they are the easiest to use_. The malicious message, containing infected links, looks very similar to emails from trusted sources or big brands like PayPal, Google, or Amazon. ![Office 365 email protection](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/06/office-365-email-protection-5566.jpg) ### Some Influencing Techniques Used By Cyber Criminals > “When I talk to prospects about phishing protection, I don’t lead with features - I lead with math. A single successful BEC attack costs $125,000 on average. Phish Protection for a 50-person company costs $49 a month. The ROI calculation writes itself. You’re not buying software, you’re buying insurance that actually works.” - **Dan Calkin**, VP of Sales, DuoCircle Attackers use various techniques to lure the victim into clicking the malicious links. - **_Urgency_**: In this type of phishing emails, there is an urgent call for action that the receiver has to take. - **_Reward_**: This type lures the victim by promising special prizes or bonuses. - **_Loss_**: This type of phishing email exploits the inherent human tendency to respond in times of loss. - **_Authority_**: Such type of emails claim to come from a person of authority, and require the receiver to respond immediately. - **_Scarcity_**: This type taps into the tendency of humans to go for rare things. The message says that there is a specific item, which only, say, the first 20 respondents will get. ### How To Prevent Phishing Attacks? _It is not possible to completely clear the cyberspace of such attackers_. But we can take [precautions](http://www.identitytheftkiller.com/prevent-phishing-scams.php) to become better prepared to [tackle them](https://www.comodo.com/resources/home/how-to-avoid-phishing.php). If strict **data protection policies** are followed in your enterprise, your network systems will be safer. #### Staying Updated With The Latest Technology _When you **regularly update** your system, you are always one step ahead of the adversary_. Your IT department should ensure that all hardware, software, and system updates are correctly installed. If you are not updated, you are exposed to new threats. #### Educating Employees You should [train employees](/blog/how-using-anti-phishing-email-templates-to-train-your-employees-can-avoid-phishing-attacks/) of your organization well to distinguish a phishing message from an authentic one. Most phishing attacks are similar, although the context or the name may vary. To detect a **malicious link**, start with the address of the website to check the authenticity. Further, you can check for loopholes in the content or spelling mistakes. #### No Local Control For Employees _It is better if employees cannot adjust security settings from their system_. There should be a central system for handling security through **strict policies**. #### Non-approved Sites _Blacklisting sites that are an active contributor to phishing scams is an adequate safeguard for your enterprise_. This action not only prevents your employees from opening websites that may be malicious but also [prevent phishing attack](/). Train your employees in detecting fake websites, which are rapidly springing up everywhere. Webroot [reports](https://www-cdn.webroot.com/8114/8883/6877/Webroot%5F2017%5FThreat%5FReport%5FUS.pdf) that _hackers are creating about **1.5 million** new phishing sites every month_. #### Spam Setting _While updating all your firewalls, ensure that you also update your spam settings_. As hackers become more advanced, they keep on **inventing loopholes** to surpass the old spam settings.\_ To protect your system from such threats, you need to update the settings regularly\_. #### Guarding Your Inbox _Keep your inbox free from any suspicious emails or any unrecognized senders_. You should also refrain from entering any personal or financial details on an unknown site. Do not entertain messages received from **unknown senders**. ![Zero day attack prevention](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/06/zero-day-attack-prevention-1578.jpg) #### Minimizing the usage of Removable Media Reducing or avoiding the use of removable media like SD cards and USB drives for your personal use is a good idea, but when it comes to **enterprise security,** system and network administrators must _prevent the usage SD cards and USB drives or any such removable media by the employees_. Removable media are highly prone to different **malware attacks**, and if there are situations when it is essential to use it, better have it completely scanned before and after using it. ### Simulated Phishing Tests, An Innovative Way To Tackle Phishing Keeping pace with the ever-advancing hackers, _many organizations have come up with innovative ways to prepare their workforce better in case of malicious phishing attacks_. One such method is by sending [simulated](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581918303628) and targeted phishing emails to the employees. These emails are structured just like an original **malicious email**, taking into account all the influencing parameters mentioned above. The organizations then monitor the click rate (employees who fall prey and click on the link). This result helps them in gauging the preparedness level of the staff, and also in [spreading awareness](/blog/in-honor-of-cybersecurity-awareness-month-heres-the-only-fact-you-need-to-know/) of the type of content they can expect in a phishing email. ### Tips For Recognizing Malicious Emails - _Legitimate businesses will never ask you for any login information or any personal and sensitive credentials_. - Watch out for the emails that convey a sense of urgency or fear. - Warning emails are a simple way of luring you into fake traps. Ensure that you **contact the company directly** to inquire if the emails are authentic or not. - _Get rid of emails which are vague and are not explicitly addressing you_. They are generally malware emails. - Legitimate business emails will use the first or last name to address you. ### Conclusion Digitalization has infiltrated our lives extensively. It has also become a means for cyber-criminals to take advantage of the **vulnerabilities of people**. The need of the hour is to carry out [awareness campaigns](/blog/phishing-awareness-training-is-getting-some-large-investments/) and [phishing simulations](/products/phishing-simulation/) to make the workforce better trained and better prepared in tackling such attacks. ## Topics [ Phishing ](/tags/phishing/) ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) [ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) General Manager Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across DuoCircle's 2,000+ customer base. [LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) ## Protect your inbox from phishing attacks Real-time email security with 60-day free trial. No credit card required. [Start Free Trial](https://portal.duocircle.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=101&brand=phishprotection) [View Pricing](/pricing/) ## Related Articles [ Foundational 5m 0ktapus, Okta Breach Helps Attackers Launch Sophisticated Supply Chain Attacks Sep 5, 2022 ](/blog/0ktapus-okta-breach-helps-attackers-launch-sophisticated-supply-chain-attacks/)[ Foundational 4m 13 Spear Phishing Attacks Examples To Justify Investment For Phishing Prevention Solutions In Your Organization Aug 1, 2019 ](/blog/13-spear-phishing-attacks-examples-to-justify-investment-for-phishing-prevention-solutions-in-your-organization/)[ Foundational 4m All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack, Major outage in the Ohio medical center May 23, 2025 ](/blog/14-centers-of-kettering-health-were-affected-by-massive-ransomware-attack-in-ohio-medical-center/)[ Foundational 4m 2021 Phishing Trends You Need To Be Wary Of Aug 2, 2021 ](/blog/2021-phishing-trends-to-be-wary-of/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"Phish Protection","url":"https://phishprotection.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://phishprotection.com/images/phishprotection-logo.png"},"description":"Advanced phishing protection and email security for businesses. 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