Cyber Tip of the Day - Vishing

To help promote Cybersecurity Awareness, we would like to start your week with a tip to stay safe online. Today’s subject: Vishing.

Vishing involves using the telephone to scam people into giving away their sensitive information that can then be used for identity theft and fraud.

Here are some cybersecurity tips to protect yourself:

• Legitimate companies normally won’t ask you for your social security number, credit card number, PIN, or such over a phone call. So, don’t key those in over the phone no matter what.
• Don’t always believe your caller ID. A fraudster can call you and make the caller ID look like it’s coming from a legitimate source.
• Vishing calls will try to create a sense of urgency so that the victim doesn’t have time to realize there’s something fishy going on or a cyber attack taking place. Some of these could even have an actual person at the other end asking for remote access to your laptop to help you fix a technical issue.
• Remain calm and look for signs that the call could be a scam. For instance, government organizations like the IRS will never call you over the phone.
• Protect your phone number like you’d protect your sensitive information. Many scams will record the call and use that recording later to make it seem like you’re agreeing to payments you never did.
• Avoid saying things in the affirmative if you are suspicious. For example, the call may begin with “Hello, can you hear me?” to trick you into saying “yes.”

Be Smart. Be Aware. Be Secure. ERMProtect.

ERMProtect is a worldwide leader in cybersecurity solutions and forensics with over 25 years of experience. We identify IT vulnerabilities, secure systems, and train employees to recognize when they are being targeted by hackers. ERMProtect arms employees with the tools and security awareness they need to protect themselves and their organizations from cyber attacks. To speak with an expert on our cybersecurity team please call (800) 259-9660 or click here to schedule a free demo.