Phishing emails are messages designed to trick someone into clicking a link, opening an attachment, sharing a password or sending money. They are one of the most common ways criminals get into a small business, because they target people rather than technology. A busy employee answering email between tasks is exactly who they are hoping to reach.
The good news is that most phishing emails share recognizable warning signs. With a little practice, your whole team can learn to spot them.
Common warning signs
Train yourself and your team to slow down and look for these red flags:
- Urgency or pressure. “Your account will be closed today,” “Payment overdue,” or “Respond within one hour.” Pressure is designed to make you act before you think.
- A sender address that does not quite match. The display name may say your bank or a vendor, but the actual address is slightly misspelled or comes from an unrelated domain.
- Unexpected attachments. Invoices, shipping notices or “scanned documents” you were not expecting.
- Links that go somewhere else. Hover over a link (or press and hold on a phone) to preview the real destination before you click.
- Requests for passwords or codes. Legitimate companies do not ask you to send your password or a sign-in code by email.
- Generic greetings and unusual tone. “Dear customer,” odd phrasing, or a message that does not sound like the person it claims to be from.
Business-specific scams to watch for
Some phishing attempts target businesses in particular:
- Fake invoices. A message that appears to come from a regular vendor with “updated bank details” for payment.
- Executive impersonation. An email that appears to be from the owner or a manager asking an employee to buy gift cards or wire money quickly and quietly.
- Fake sign-in pages. A link that leads to a page that looks like your email or file-sharing login, built to capture your password.
- Shipping and delivery notices. Especially common during busy shopping seasons.
A simple rule stops many of these: verify any request involving money or credentials through a second channel. Call the vendor or coworker at a number you already have on file, not one listed in the email.
What to do if someone clicks
Mistakes happen, and the worst outcome is when someone is too embarrassed to say anything. Make it clear that reporting quickly is always the right move. If someone clicks a suspicious link or enters a password:
- Disconnect the device from the network if malware may have been downloaded.
- Change the password for the affected account right away, from a different, trusted device.
- Change the password anywhere else it was reused.
- Notify your IT provider so they can check for further activity.
- If money was sent, contact your bank immediately.
Safeguards that make phishing less effective
Awareness is the first layer, but a few technical protections dramatically reduce the damage a single click can cause:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA requires a second proof of identity beyond the password, such as an app prompt, a code or a security key. Even if a password is stolen, the attacker still needs that second factor.
- Email authentication for your domain. SPF, DKIM and DMARC help receiving servers confirm that email claiming to be from your domain really is. They make it harder for criminals to impersonate you to customers and vendors. Since 2024, Google and Yahoo have required bulk senders to use them, so they also help your legitimate mail get delivered.
- Email filtering. A good filter catches many phishing attempts before they reach an inbox.
- Software updates. Keep computers, phones and browsers up to date so known security holes are closed.
- Backups. Follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one off-site, so you can recover if something goes wrong.
Build a culture that catches phishing
Technology helps, but people are your best defense. Talk about phishing at staff meetings, share examples of real attempts your business receives and praise employees who report suspicious messages. Make reporting easy, with a single address or person to forward questionable emails to.
Review the warning signs whenever someone new joins, and refresh the conversation a few times a year. Short, regular reminders are more effective than a single long training session.
How we can help
Our managed IT services, provided through Service Your Devices with plans from $300 per month, can set up MFA, email filtering, backups and domain email authentication, and give your team someone to call when a message looks suspicious.
Strengthen your defenses
If you are not sure how well your business is protected, book a free consultation or call (772) 356-3550. We will review your setup and recommend practical next steps.
