Phishing is a form of internet fraud that uses email. The name is derived from the way perpetrators ‘fish’ for potential victims. About 90 per cent of cyberattacks are entering your company via your email. Phishing emails are responsible for the lion’s share of these attacks. If you’re one of these potential victims, you’ll receive an email that appears to come from a trusted sender and cannot be distinguished from a genuine email. Open the link in the email and you’ll be redirected to a false website. Afterwards, you’ll receive malware or unsuspectingly enter your bank details, opening the door to abuse.

With endpoint security protection, you first open any suspicious URLs in your emails in a phishing test platform in the cloud, where there’s no access to your data.

Cybercriminals who are looking for sensitive information or credit-card details often use a botnet. How does this work? They use trojans to crack the security on the servers or computers of multiple users and then take over. They put all infected machines together in a network of ‘bots’—botnets—that they control remotely. Has your computer been infected? Then it is part of the botnet horde and helps other systems to attack. A next-generation firewall holds off these attacks.

Ransomware is a type of malware that infects encrypted data and secure database systems. It then threatens to delete or corrupt files unless you pay a ransom. About 40,000 ransomware attacks take place every day. Make sure all your company devices are fully protected with the right anti malware software.

With a software-update supply-chain attack, cybercriminals plant malware in a legitimate software package. When your software updates, the malware is let loose. The infection happens at some point during the logistic trajectory: with the software supplier, on an external storage location or via a diversion.

Protecting your company from these sophisticated attacks isn’t easy. To limit the risk, visit the supplier website before updating your software. All the information you need to know about the update will be waiting for you there.

Greater security begins with more awareness of possible dangers. Raise awareness among your colleagues. Addressing and explaining the cyberrisks of email traffic ensures everyone remains alert.