The rise of spam and phishing emails that infect computers and spread malware and viruses has necessitated the need for top-end IT services in Houston. As a business, you receive several emails from suppliers, customers, and other contacts on a daily basis. Although emails are excellent ways of exploring new offers, products, services, and news, they can also be used to bring in harmful information into your company in the form of phishing and spam emails.
What are Spam and Phishing Emails?
Spam is simply junk email that your company didn’t request, like gambling and dating advertising, “work from home” or “get rich quick” schemes as well as hoax charity pleas and virus notices. While mostly annoying, these emails occasionally contain malware and viruses. On the other hand, phishing emails are junk emails used in phishing schemes. They’re designed to get personal details like credit card numbers and bank account log-ins to steal identities or defraud unsuspecting victims.
Spam and phishing emails can infect your company’s computer network with viruses like Trojans and are activated by opening links or attached files. They later spread throughout the system collecting sensitive data and accessing confidential information that’s relayed back to the attacker.
Three Ways to Protect Your Company from Spam and Phishing Emails
1. Create Awareness among Your Employees
Companies can create security awareness among their employees using specially designed training programs from their IT department or professional IT services in Houston. These programs send out factious emails that require a response to the company’s staff. If the employee does something wrong (like clicking on links provided or downloading attachments), an instant message is displayed informing them that the email is a training exercise from IT support. Security awareness programs can also include mandatory training videos.
2. Learn How to Spot Suspicious Emails
To identify suspicious emails before they harm your network, follow these simple guidelines:
• Never respond to emails that request sensitive, personal, or financial information.
• Be vigilant when downloading or opening attached files.
• Never open links directly from your email. Instead, open them in a new browser window.
• Watch out for generic greetings or requests for information.
• Check details of websites or any other relevant information contained in a suspicious email on your search engine.
• Look out for grammatical or spelling mistakes.
• Never forward or reply to suspicious emails.
• Delete emails that you cannot validate are from a trusted source.
3. Hire an IT Services Company or Managed Services Provider
IT services companies and Managed Services Providers (MSPs) provide managed anti-virus services and keep your business subscriptions updated. They also ensure that all workstations are regularly scanned. MSPs and IT services companies are immediately alerted of potential virus infections and react quickly to control the situation. This high level of protection allows your management team to rest assured that sensitive company information is protected.
At HoustonTech, we provide top-notch IT services in Houston, Texas. We offer instant help, desk support, maintain workstations, and secure servers with updated patches and virus protection. We also offer both onsite and remote support to all our clients. Contact us today for more information.