SECURITY AWARENESS : BE AWARE OF PHISHING ATTACKS
Due to recent incidents, AWDC Security Office (AWDC SO) advises the Antwerp diamond community to be aware of the threat of 'phishing attacks'.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a term that refers to incidents where cybercriminals attempt to obtain sensitive information such as passwords, financial, personal and credit card details.
Phishing will generally involve e-mails or websites, strongly resembling official communication, making it hard to distinguish from legitimate and trusted sources.
Cybercriminals will try to use the information to conduct fraud or illegal activities, attempt to withdraw money from your bank accounts, or for example use your information to open accounts in your name.
How to avoid phishing?
To avoid phishing, we advise to observe the following, simple prevention measures
- Reputable organizations such as banks will never ask for password details or other sensitive information via e-mail or websites.
- if you receive an e-mail asking you for your password or confidential information, ignore the request and simply delete the e-mail.
In addition you can:
- review the security settings and install specific anti-phishing software on your computer
- avoid clicking through on links in unfamiliar, suspicious or unusual e-mails
- avoid filling out forms that are embedden in e-mails
- install and regularly update the latest web browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer
- regularly log in to your online bank accounts to detect suspicious or unusual transactions faster
- verify the information on incoming and outgoing invoices
Were you a victim of phishing?
If you are a victim of a phishing attack we advise to:
- keep calm and change the passwords you have filled out in response to a phishing e-mail
- always file a complaint with the local police and report the incident to your financial institution and the AWDC SO
- increase security awareness of your staff and review the security settings of your computers and ICT network.
