Anti-phishing guide to avoid taking the bait of a computer attack: tips and tools

The global impact of phishing is estimated at $3.5 billion in 2024. It has become the most common cyberattack, with an increase in the number of attempts of the order of 58% over the same year. These figures underline the importance of a preventive approach.

That's why we've put together a comprehensive anti-phishing guide, with reference tools and practical advice for optimum protection.

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Reminder: what is phishing?

What exactly is phishing? What are the dangers for businesses? What are the main types of phishing? We define the concept and what's at stake.

Definition and issues

Phishing is a form of Internet fraud. This typical type of cyberattack generally proceeds as follows.

You receive an e-mail which you identify as coming from a trusted source (partner, delivery company, public institution, etc.). However, if you pay close enough attention to the document, you may pick up clues (inaccurate logo, spelling mistakes, dubious URL) that indicate that the sender is not who they claim to be. 🥷

The message indicates a "technical problem" and asks you to enter your personal data, particularly banking data. It is often accompanied by a sense of urgency to create stress.

This is a particularly pernicious type of cyberattack, as it relies on the trust and habits of its victims. That's why it's called a social engineering attack. The scam is not "technical", but "psychological".

Its consequences can be very serious:

• identity theft,
• theft of money,
• access to your personal or business accounts, etc.

What's the difference between spam and phishing?

Spam is junk mail. It is an invasive form of advertising that is usually sent en masse. It may be sent in response to a subscription to a newletter, or sometimes without solicitation on your part. Its purpose is purely commercial and, unlike phisigin, it does not involve any element of fraud.

The main types of phishing

• Email phishing: This is the most common type of phishing. This type of phishing takes the form of an urgent e-mail, generally easy to detect.

• Spear phishing: This type of phishing targets a specific group or type of person. Within a company, it is often the administration and finance teams who are phished.

• Whaling: Whaling is an even more targeted type of phishing, aimed at "whales". It is aimed at CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives of an organization. The whaling message often indicates a legal risk.

• Vishing: This technique uses voice communication (telephone, voicemail) to obtain information. The scammer may pose as a bank or customer service representative.

• Smishing: Smishing is carried out via SMS. The messages generally contain links to fraudulent sites, or an invitation to call back a premium-rate number.

• Quishing: A new trend, quishing uses QR codes to redirect victims to malicious sites. They are increasingly present in public places and in digital communications.

Why use anti-phishing software?

Anti-phishing software offers multiple benefits for your business:

• Better protection of your sensitive data: Security against information theft, detection of identity theft and blocking of dubious senders.

• Save valuable time (and bandwidth): No need for your staff to process spam, saving bandwidth for essential messages.

• Regular updates: Anti-phishing technology constantly adapts to new hacker techniques.

• 24/7 protection: Unlike employees, anti-phishing software offers uninterrupted protection with no drop in vigilance.

• Full traceability: Anti-phishing tools provide detailed reports, offering total visibility of the threats targeting your organization.

Our tips for protecting your business against phishing

How to protect against phishing For maximum security, you need to build a strategy around the following key elements: vigilance and staff training, as well as the integration of high-performance, up-to-date protection tools.

Solution number 1: vigilance

Comply with security best practices every time you open a potentially sensitive e-mail. Be even more vigilant when asked for personal information.

Never open an attachment or click on a suspicious link, even if it's in a seemingly official e-mail.

Here are some warning signs:

• Spelling or grammatical errors.

• An urgent request for personal information.

• A non-compliant e-mail address.

Train and educate your teams in phishing techniques

Make your teams aware of the risks of phishing campaigns. Train employees in the most sensitive departments (IT, accounting, etc.) to analyze the signs of potential phishing and to report it as soon as there is the slightest doubt.

Install high-performance anti-phishing software

For optimum protection against phishing, it's essential to install robust anti-phishing software. It will automatically filter suspicious e-mails, check links and attachments before you click on them, and block risky domain names in real time. Comprehensive, high-performance security.

Up-to-date software and security tools

Installing security tools isn't enough. You also need to update them when necessary. This is the best way to ensure you're always at the cutting edge of online security.

How does an anti-phishing tool work?

An anti-phishing tool acts as a multi-layered defense system. It has a single objective: to protect you against the risks of phishing.

The first line of defense is URL filtering. The anti-phishing software analyzes each incoming link and its source, and compares them with its database of malicious sites.

The second level of protection is heuristic analysis. The software studies the content of messages to identify inconsistencies and suspicious signs.

The anti-phishing tool also incorporates active defense systems. Deploy alerts, test links in a sandbox environment, quarantine suspicious messages... Your solution protects you autonomously.

As an added bonus, some solutions also integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to identify threats that are still emerging.

What's the best anti-phishing solution?

Looking for a high-performance anti-phishing solution? We've put together a top list of the best software for detecting phishing threats in your organization's mailboxes. Discover their key features and benefits.

Altospam

Altospam is the number 1 protection solution for your corporate mailboxes. Its Mailsafe security software eliminates the risk of online phishing. Thanks to high-performance heuristic and behavioral analysis, it detects even the most sophisticated suspicious messages. Incorporating proprietary AI features, it reduces the risk of false positives to a minimum (- 0.01%). A precious time-saver for your teams.

Altospam integrates seamlessly with the messaging systems of leading office suites such as Google Workplace and Microsoft 360°. In addition to Mailsaife, Altospam also offers a Mailout service to secure your outgoing e-mails. No more risk of virus propagation or balcklisting. Combine the two solutions for 100% secure messaging.

Altospam

+200 reviews

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Advanced Email Security with Spam Filtering and More

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Barracuda Email Protection

Barracuda Network offers several IT security modules. In its offer, the company includes Barracuda Email Protection to protect your mailbox from ransomware, malware and phishing attempts. Barracuda Email Protection detects and neutralizes threats with the following features:

• Behavioral and heuristic detection

• Identity theft protection

• Domain name validation system.

To take your security against social engineering attacks even further, Barracuda offers an AI-based analysis model: Barracuda Impersonation Protection.

EventLog Analyzer (ManageEngine)

EventLog Analyzer is a complete security solution from ManageEngine. The software stands out for its high capacity to process threats in real time (600 million malicious IP addresses analyzed live). The software's database is constantly updated for rapid adaptation to new threats.

EventLog Analyzer is also effective against data theft. It is designed for companies and organizations with IT departments.

ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

12 reviews

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IT Analysis and Monitoring for Network Security

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GravityZone Small Business Security (Bitdefender)

As its name suggests, GravityZone Small Business Security is security software for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers comprehensive protection against the risks of cyber attacks, including phishing.

It automatically blocks phishing sites by displaying a warning page to users. This feature also extends to other scams, such as fake company websites.

Software management is simplified via a centralized, ergonomic interface. You track, manage and automate cybersecurity events without requiring additional IT resources or servers. Perfect for SMEs.

GravityZone by Bitdefender

70 reviews

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Multilayer cybersecurity for small business with no IT team

Learn more about GravityZone by Bitdefender

Harmony Endpoint (Check point)

The strength of Check Point Harmony Endpoint lies in its multi-layered protection. The software secures all your vulnerable points: email, mobile devices and workstations.

Its flagship solution, Harmony Email & Office, integrates seamlessly with Office 365 and G-Suite. It adds an extra layer of defense that doesn't disrupt your existing infrastructure in any way.

Powered by ThreatCloud AI, the solution analyzes every email in depth and can examine over 300 indicators to detect hidden threats.

Administrators using Harmony Email & Office also benefit from a clear, intuitive interface.

Kaspersky Small Office Security

Kaspersky Small Office Security is a cybersecurity solution designed for VSEs and SMEs looking for immediate protection without complex configuration. When it comes to phishing, the software combines a real-time database of fraudulent sites with proactive behavioral analysis.

As a result, phishing attempts via email, instant messaging or website are blocked before the user even clicks. The tool also includes monitoring of malicious attachments and scripts, as well as a banking protection module to prevent misappropriation during online payments.

Easy to deploy on multiple workstations, it also enables managers to manage the security of all employees via a centralized console. A complete solution to reinforce vigilance against digital scams, without sacrificing ease of use.

Kaspersky Small Office Security

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All-in-one cybersecurity solution for VSEs and SMEs

Learn more about Kaspersky Small Office Security

Mailinblack

Mailinblack uses Deep Learning technology trained on 6 billion emails a year. Thanks to this continuous learning, the software offers highly effective proactive protection.

Mailinblack's AI detects weak signals of targeted attacks and can block zero-day threats. This gives you highly effective protection against phishing, spear phishing, ransomware and spam.

Another advantage: intelligent filtering. This feature allows you to customize the level of security to suit the specific needs of your organization.

For even greater security, the Protect Advanced version offers enhanced filtering with advanced heuristic analysis and dual antivirus.

Mailinblack

60 reviews

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French messaging protection solution

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Phished

Phished is an original phishing expert in the cyber-defense ecosystem. Its approach? IT protection through training.

Unlike traditional solutions that focus solely on technical filtering, Phished relies on the human element as the first line of defense against cyber-attacks.

The platform offers comprehensive cyber-resilience training that transforms your employees into veritable sentinels capable of recognizing the most sophisticated phishing attempts.

The results are clear: more than 3,500 companies have adopted Phished, reporting a dramatic reduction in phishing rates.

The platform constantly updates its knowledge so that administrators are always one step ahead of emerging threats.

Phished

139 reviews

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Advanced Email Phishing Simulation Platform

Learn more about Phished

How to choose the right anti-phishing tool? 4 criteria

When choosing the right anti-phishing tool, the criteria to consider are: detection capabilities, integration into your infrastructure, reporting capabilities and quality of technical support.

Advanced detection capabilities

The first point to check when selecting your anti-phishing software is its key features. It must integrate a real-time protection system to detect phishing attempts before they reach your mailbox. The tool should also be able to analyze suspicious links and attachments. You should also opt for software that incorporates AI and machine learning technologies for even more effective detection.

Optimal integration with your infrastructure

Performance isn't everything when it comes to IT security. Integration with your system is also a key consideration. The tool must be 100% compatible with your email system (Office 365, Gmail, etc.). It must also integrate with your security system (firewall and antivirus) and deploy easily across your various departments.

Reporting and management resources

Your anti-phishing solution must offer centralized management. With an intuitive dashboard, you'll benefit from detailed reports on blocked phishing attempts, customizable alerts for critical attacks, and more. Everything you need to analyze your software's performance and adapt it to your specific needs.

Reactivity and quality of support

Quality anti-phishing software is software that performs well over time. The company that develops it must be committed to adapting it to new threats with regular updates. It must also offer responsive technical support and comprehensive documentation.

Mistakes to avoid when choosing an anti-phishing tool

To make the right choice of anti-phishing software, here are the mistakes to avoid:

• Choose your tool solely on the basis of price.

• Don't test the tool (demo, free trial).

• Don't involve IT teams in your choice.

• Not listening to customer feedback.

• Neglect team training.

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Boost your IT security: adopt anti-phishing software

The fight against phishing is an absolute priority for your company's IT security. Training your staff is the first line of defence against this type of risk.

For more comprehensive protection, anti-phishing software is essential. As we have seen, the market today offers a wide range of effective solutions.

Tools such as Altospam, Barracuda and Mailinblack focus more on technical filtration. EventLog Analyzer and GravityZone are more comprehensive protection software.

Select the option that meets your company's specific needs to get the best possible return on investment.

Adopt a combined approach - awareness-raising and technical protection - and never take the bait again.