A whaling what…???

Whaling? Imagine if your staff got an email, they genuinely thought was from you, but it actually wasn’t. Asking them to pay an urgent bill for a new supplier they’d not heard of before.

Is there any risk they could pay it? Are you sure they’re ready and equipped to know the difference between a real email and a phishing one? Check out the image below. (Credit to TechTarget. Go check them out and learn more about whaling.)

Because actually that email wasn’t sent by you. It’s a specific kind of cyber-crime called whaling, where criminals impersonate the boss.

Here’s what you need to know about it.

Script:

A whaling what?

Unless you’re in the tech world, you’ve probably not heard of a whaling attack

before.

But as the business owner, it’s your responsibility to be aware of any risk that could threaten your data security.

Whaling – sometimes called CEO fraud – involves impersonation.

Cybercriminals pretend to be an organization’s CEO, supplier, or another

senior colleague in order to access funds or sensitive data.

Whaling is aimed at high level individuals, such as directors, heads of departments and managers. And attacks are on the rise…

As more of us work remotely and communication of all kinds has grown and grown, this form of social engineering tries to catch people off guard. As they feel unable to refuse a request from someone appearing to be the head of their company.

If you are asked to transfer money, provide sensitive information or click on links, it’s always worth taking a moment, to stop and think.

Always be aware of unfamiliar email addresses, changes to banking details, a sense of urgency or request for confidential information.

For more information about cyber security, get in touch with us today.

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