Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, or ransomware. 82% of data breaches involve a human element – exploiting a human error or human behavior to gain access to information or services.

According to the European Council, phishing is identified as the most common initial vector of ransomware that is reported as one of the biggest cyber threats in the EU.

Don’t be deceived and use these 6 basic tips on how to recognize a phishing email:

1. Check the sender address: Which address is it really?
Received mail might not be coming from the source it pretends to be in the mail signature. Hover over the Sender’s name to verify. 

2. Look out for suspicious links and take a close look at the domain.
Verify the link by hovering over it. Domains try to copy the original address but have wrong spelling to fool users into thinking it is credible. 

3. Look out for conspicuous or unexpected e-mail attachments.
Attachments can be embedded with malware. 

4. Offer is too good to be true.
Overly attractive discounts are used to bait us. 

5. Email creates sense of urgency by threatening of financial loss or loss of access.
Real emails tend to use more formal language that does not create as much urgency. 

6. Pay attention to the spelling or unusual wording.

Learn more and test your knowledge and ability to recognize phishing mails in the A1 Phishing Quiz.