Your email filtering catches most of the obvious spam, but the dangerous phishing emails are the ones that get through. They look legitimate, they create urgency, and they only need one person in your team to click for the attack to succeed.
Modern Phishing Does Not Look Like Spam
Forget the old stereotype of poorly written emails from foreign princes. Modern phishing emails impersonate Microsoft, Australia Post, the ATO, your bank, and even people within your own organisation. They use correct logos, professional formatting, and plausible scenarios.
The goal is usually to get you to click a link that leads to a fake login page or to download a file that installs malware. Once they have your credentials or access to your device, the real damage begins.
Red Flags Your Team Should Know
Train your staff to check these things before clicking anything:
Sender address: Does the email domain match the real organisation? Hover over the sender name to see the actual address. Look for subtle misspellings like microsft.com or commbank-secure.com.
Urgency and threats: Phrases like your account will be suspended, immediate action required, or unusual sign-in detected are designed to make you act before you think.
Links: Hover over any link before clicking. Does the URL match where it claims to go? On mobile, long-press the link to preview the destination.
Attachments: Be especially cautious of unexpected attachments, particularly ZIP files, Office documents with macros, or PDFs from unknown senders.
What To Do When Someone Clicks
It will happen. No amount of training prevents every click. The important thing is having a clear response process. Staff should immediately report the incident to whoever manages IT, change their password from a different device, and not try to fix it themselves.
The faster you respond, the less damage is done. Make sure your team knows they will not be punished for reporting. If people fear consequences, they hide incidents, and hidden incidents cause far more damage.
Building a Security-Aware Culture
Phishing awareness is not a one-time training session. It needs to be ongoing. Consider regular simulated phishing tests, brief monthly reminders about current scam trends, and a culture where questioning suspicious emails is encouraged rather than seen as paranoia.
We run phishing awareness programs for Brisbane businesses that include simulated attacks and targeted training for staff who need extra support.
Want to test how phishing-resistant your team really is? Get in touch for a simulated phishing assessment.
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