When in Doubt, Throw it Out – Or Call and Confirm!

Are you aware that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month?  With the day to day security headlines year-round you may be thinking to yourself “I am sick of hearing about security”.  As we come to the end of the month, bear with me for just a second as I let you in on a little security gem.  While there are many different security solutions that exist, some cheap and many expensive, yet arguably one of the most important ones is free.  It is a phrase coined by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, “When in Doubt, Throw It Out”.  When at home or work, if you receive a piece of physical junk mail that that claims you have one a free trip to the Moon, what do you do?  Most likely, you throw it out in the trash as you know it is not true.

“When in Doubt, Throw It Out” – Why is this phrase so important as it relates to Cybersecurity?  Let’s start with a staggering statistic from Verizon’s 2018 Breach Investigations report that found 92 percent of malware is still delivered via email and one of the most common methods is via phishing emails.  This means that young, working, and elderly people that use email are susceptible to receiving malicious files or content. The reality is that tweets, online posts, text messages, online ads, etc. all entice the user into doing something that leads them down a path where something bad could potentially happen.  Often the phishing emails look like they come from a colleague, friend, or an organization that the recipient inherently trusts which makes the statement “When in Doubt, Throw It Out” even more perplexing for the recipient.

If you receive an email, tweet, text, etc. that seems strange then “When in Doubt, Throw It Out” comes into play.  If you feel an urge to open it, but have a funny feeling that something does not see right, pick up the phone and verbally confirm that the sender of the message really did send you the request.  Whether at work or sitting on your couch watching Sunday afternoon football games, while looking at your phone or computer make sure you remember “When in Doubt, Throw It Out… Call and Confirm!”

Please contact Thrive or call us at 866-205-2810 for more information on the managed options that are available to proactively protect your user and businesses from the bad stuff that is still primarily coming in via email.