All it takes is one click to open the doors of your brokerage to cybercriminals. Help keep your business safe online by sharing these cybersecurity tips with your agents.
This email seems normal…
Phishing is a type of scam in which criminals contact you via email pretending to be a legitimate organization, company, or even someone you know to trick you into revealing personal or financial information. Related scams can happen over the phone, text messages, collaborative work platforms, or through social media.
If the scammers succeed, they can steal your money, impersonate you, or gain access to your computer systems, among other problems.
Being suspicious can be helpful
It’s always a good idea to remind your agents of what to look out for when avoiding phishing attempts.
Here are some tips from Microsoft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
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Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message.
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Take your time when considering messages from senders outside your organization or who have never contacted you before.
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Review the email address, URL, and all spelling carefully for errors or anything suspicious.
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Generic greetings can be a sign of a scam. A legitimate email is more likely to address you by name.
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Question any message that encourages you to act quickly.
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Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of an email attachment forwarded to you.
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Don’t trust shortened URLs. They could redirect you to a malicious site. You can double check links by hovering over the link without clicking on it. If the link is completely different than the stated location, it’s probably a scam.
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Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
Phishing attacks are common and always evolving. It is much easier to train your agents to spot scams than it is to clean up after a cyberattack. Share these and other resources with your agents to protect your brokerage.
