Regarded as one of the oldest cyber-attacks, phishing utilises emails and messages to dupe unsuspecting individuals of sensitive information and/or money. The aim here is to trick individuals into believing the content of a respective email/message and comply with its instructions. Moreover, it often asks individuals to click on a link or download the attachment.
The credibility of the emails is what distinguishes phishing attacks. Here, perpetrators impersonate an individual or a company to perform such crimes. Cyber security insurance plans are tailor-made to safeguards the financial interest of victims in such cases.
Phishing possesses an imminent threat
According to the Data Breach Investigation Report of 2019 by a leading telecommunication company, one-third of the samples data braches they investigated concerned phishing attacks. Moreover, the survey also noticed that, for corporate espionage, this proportion rises to 78%.
These numbers are undoubtedly worrying, but one can avoid such traps through constant vigilance. Also, knowledge of how these crimes are committed can help individuals devise safety techniques.
If all else fails and you fall victim to phishing attacks, a cyber security insurance policy can ensure complete financial coverage, aiding you to recover any losses.
How to avoid phishing attacks?
Here are some tips on how one can steer clear of such attacks.
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Not responding to random emails
Since phishing meaning reveals that the threat starts from emails, it is imperative to be picky about the ones you open and ones you ignore. As already mentioned, criminals impersonate reputed companies or individuals as the front and trick individuals to believe that these are legitimate communications from them.
Nevertheless, it may be difficult for some to differentiate between the original one and a false one. In that case, individuals can check their previous sent emails to find if they were ever in communication with the senders. They can verify the email IDs and see if these are legitimate or not.
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Avoid clicking on links within these emails
Apart from replying to these emails, recipients need to refrain from the practice of clicking on the links integrated in to such emails. Typically, these links redirect to false websites, which collect data directly as soon as you visit them.
These sites will gather information about visitors through various feedback forms or install the malware in the systems with unwanted downloads.
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Using trusted websites
Since it is challenging to differentiate legitimate websites from the fake ones, one should abstain from using unreliable websites. They can check for an SSL certificate before surfing or submitting personal information on a website.
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Using antivirus
Antivirus protects a device from different external threats such as malware, ransomware, etc. Installing these programs on your computer and smartphone is essential, especially if you plan to browse the internet on these devices. Fraudulent charges insurance cover can ensure adequate financial assistance if you happen to face immense monetary losses due to malware or ransomware infections.
Along with protection from external threats, it also allows individuals to track their devices, or wipe necessary data if needed.
These aforementioned tips can help individuals to safeguard against cyber-attacks. Nevertheless, with the increasing rate of such crimes, it is ideal to have a cyber insurance policy like Cyber Security Cover provided by Bajaj Finserv under its Pocket Insurance & Subscriptions. It provides financial coverage of up to Rs.2 lakh against a minimal premium starting from just Rs.253.
Along with a cyber security cover, once can also avail an identity assure insurance plan. It will financially cover their legal expenses in case policyholders face any identity theft-related issues.
In today’s digital age, where online activities are reaching new heights, it is also leaving individuals highly vulnerable to multiple threats. In this regard, having a cyber security insurance plan can provide the necessary financial coverage to deal with the losses resulting from these unfortunate incidents.
