Is Your Outsourced IT Company Talking To You About Social Engineering?
If you’ve ever hired an IT company to help with your business’s technology needs, you may have heard the term “social engineering.” But what is social engineering, and why should you care about it?
In short, social engineering is a type of cyber attack that relies on human interaction to trick people into revealing sensitive information or taking action that could jeopardize their security. And while it might sound like something that only happens to big businesses or governments, small businesses are just as vulnerable – if not more so.
Why? Small businesses often lack the resources and know-how for cybersecurity. So, if you’re dealing with an outsourced IT company, having that conversation about social engineering and protecting your business from these kinds of attacks is critical.
Social Engineering and Its Dangers
Social engineering is an increasingly common threat in a digital world, where malicious scammers are trying to hack personal information by taking advantage of human behaviors and weaknesses. By manipulating people into trusting and divulging information, innocent employees can share sensitive information that jeopardizes entire enterprises. So organizations need to be aware of new social engineering tactics and of what they can do to defend against these attacks. There are measures every company should put into place, from identifying phishing emails to adhering to best security practices. There could be long-term financial implications, and you might lose customer data if you do nothing.
Social Engineering Attack Examples
Social engineering can come in all shapes and sizes, and understanding what these attacks look like when they’re enacted will help your employees recognize them for what they are:
- Phishing emails are the most typical variety, in which attackers send out messages that appear to come from legitimate sources: fake invoices, account warnings, or password-reset links, and hope someone clicks through and enters sensitive information.
- Pretexting, in which fraudsters claim to be someone the victim knows and trusts (like IT support or company leadership) in an attempt to extract credentials or financial information from employees.
- Tailgating is a type of physical social engineering in which someone physically follows an authorized person into a secure area, as their credentials are not even requested.
- Baiting, which essentially means leaving infected USB drives around or setting them up at places employees are likely to plug something in — and the moment they do, voilá, your network is infected.
These scenarios illustrate social engineering attacks humans, not just systems, and why human vigilance can be a critical defense.
How Can Social Engineering Risks Be Minimized With the Help of Your IT Service Provider?
Social engineering is an attack against your company’s security you can’t afford to ignore. An IT service provider can help your company mitigate the threats of social engineering by taking initiatives like team trainings and knowledge assessments, tracking and enhancing employee authentication, and even investing in liability insurance.
Our team, specialized in security, will be able to detect any sign of wrongdoing in the network, and their overall infrastructure protection implemented will protect your company from powerful cyber criminals. Further, our consultants can collaborate with yours to develop personalized plans designed to focus on and measure risk management through activities including phishing simulations.
Being a long-established IT company, operating for more than 15 years in Central Ontario (Barrie, Aurora, Orillia, and Newmarket), we can offer not only the best protection for your data, but also expert advice to guard it from social engineering.
What to Search for in an IT Company So You Do Know They Are Reliable and Looking After Your Best Interests
There are several factors to consider when searching for a reliable IT company for your project:
- It is crucial for you to research the company and visit their website to know what they do, their products, etc.
- Be sure you read the customer reviews and testimonials, as these can be a good indicator of their trustworthiness.
- Also inquire as to whether they offer any type of warranty or guarantee on the work and service that they provide; if not, you may want to look for another company.
- Finally, think about the team you’ll be working with on your project: ensure they have years of experience in the area that you need help with so that you know your project will be in good hands.
So, taking all of this into account when choosing an IT firm means you can be confident of getting a good return on your investment from somebody who has your best interest at heart.
Stay Aware – Social Engineering Threats Are Here to Stay
The rise of these kinds of attacks shows how much more advanced and difficult they are to detect, so both businesses and their employees must always stay on high alert. Knowing these attacks exist is the first step in keeping your sensitive data, systems, and user accounts safe.
Companies that are vigilant will stand the greatest chance of identifying a social engineering attack sooner rather than later and minimizing possible damage (recovery time and cost more specifically). Companies can mitigate against continued harm by training their employees on how to spot general social engineering attacks, such as phishing emails or malicious links.
By staying informed and up to date, and also investing in employee education, companies will reduce losses from cybercriminals.
Social Engineering Prevention Checklist
Like any security measure, the trick to guarding against social engineering is vigilance. Start with this brief checklist:
- Conduct regular phishing simulations to test how fast employees catch suspicious emails.
- Multi-Factor Authentication on all company accounts, to have safeguards in place.
- Provide continuous security awareness training, at least quarterly, to keep employees informed about new threats.
- Apply the principle of least privilege, which provides employees with access only to the data and systems that they need to perform their tasks.
- Draft and practice an incident response plan to ensure everyone knows exactly what to do when a breach occurs.
These are the steps you can take to greatly minimize your company’s risk of social engineering attacks, and your local IT service provider should be able to assist with all this.
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Social engineering is a real threat in our steadily more connected society. But if you know the warning signals of social engineering and team up with a good IT company, you can protect your business from these attacks. We are committed to assisting our customers in the fight against social engineering and online attacks.
Contact us now to find out how we can help protect your business and what other IT Services we offer.
