Want to stop phishers? Use email authentication.

Businesses whose identities have been faked may be harmed by phishing emails. You don't want it to happen to your company, do you? Businesses Can Help Stop Phishing and Protect Their Brands Using Email Authentication, a new Staff Perspective from our Office of Technology.

The easiest approach to prevent clients from falling for phishing schemes is never sending those emails to their inboxes. However, technical solutions are available to preserve your company's reputation and prevent phishing emails from reaching your customers. These are some of them:

You can designate approved senders using the Sender Policy Framework (SPF).

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) - allows you to authenticate the validity of messages using digital signatures.

DMARC (Domain Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) - allows you to get intelligence on potential spoofing attempts, verify the "From" address that end-users see, and notify recipient email servers what to do with unauthenticated messages claiming to be from your company's domain. You may even configure DMARC to reject unauthorized messages automatically.

Here are 10 basic guidelines in keeping yourself safe

1. Keep Informed About Phishing Techniques – Phishing scams are constantly being created. You can fall prey to one of these new phishing strategies if you don't keep up with them. So keep an eye out for updates on emerging phishing scams. You will have a considerably lesser chance of being snared by one if you learn about them as soon as possible.For all users, continuous security awareness training and simulated phishing is strongly advised for IT administrators to maintain the security front of mind throughout the firm.

2. Think Before You Click! – When you're on a trusted website, it's fine to click on links. Clicking on links in random emails and instant chats, on the other hand, isn't such a good idea. Before clicking on any links that you're not sure about, hover over them. Are they leading in the right direction? A phishing email may appear to be from a reputable organization, and when you follow the link to the website, it may appear to be identical to the actual one. You may be asked to fill out the information in the email, but your name may not be included. The majority of phishing emails will begin with "Dear Customer," so be wary if you receive one.

3. Install an Anti-Phishing Toolbar – Anti-phishing toolbars can be added to the majority of popular web browsers. These toolbars do fast checks on the websites you're viewing and compare them to a list of known phishing websites. The toolbar will notify you whenever you visit a potentially harmful website. This is an additional layer of defence against phishing scams, and it's completely free.

4. Verify a Site’s Security – It's understandable to be afraid of disclosing critical financial information on the internet. However, as long as you're on a secure website, you shouldn't have any problems. Ensure the site's URL begins with "https," and there is a closed lock icon near the address bar before submitting any information.Also, look for the site's security certificate. Do not open a website if you receive a notification stating that it may contain dangerous files. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, even search engines may display certain links that direct users to a phishing website that advertises low-cost goods. If a user purchases on a website like this, the credit card details will be accessed by cybercriminals.

5. Check Your Online Accounts Regularly – Someone could be having a field day with your internet account if you don't log in for a time. Check in with each of your online accounts frequently, even if you don't officially need to. Make it a habit to change your passwords regularly. You should physically check your statements frequently to avoid bank phishing and credit card phishing fraud. Obtain monthly financial account statements and thoroughly review each entry to verify no fraudulent transactions have occurred without your knowledge.

6. Keep Your Browser Up to Date – Patches for popular browsers are published regularly. They're made public in response to the security flaws that phishers and other hackers are bound to find and exploit. Stop ignoring warnings telling you to update your browsers. Instead, download and install any updates as soon as they become available.

7. Use Firewalls – Firewalls that are of good quality operate as barriers between you, your computer, and outside invaders. There are two types of firewalls to use: a desktop firewall and a network firewall. The first option is a software kind, and the second option is a hardware type. They greatly limit the chances of hackers and phishers penetrating your computer or network when utilized simultaneously.

8. Be Wary of Pop-Ups – Pop-up windows are frequently mistaken for legitimate website elements. Most of the time, though, they are phishing scams. Pop-ups can be blocked in many major browsers, or you can enable them on a case-by-case basis. If you manage to sneak through the cracks, don't click the "cancel" option; these buttons frequently lead to phishing sites. Instead, click the little "x" in the window's upper corner.

9. Never Give Out Personal Information – As a general rule, you should never provide personal or financial information over the internet. This rule dates back to America Online's early days when users were constantly cautioned about phishing scams due to their success. If you're unsure, go to the company's official website, look out for their phone number, and call them.A user of the Internet should never enter confidential information using the links supplied in emails. Never send anyone important information via email. Make it a practice to check the website's address. The beginning of a secure website is always "https."

10. Use Antivirus Software –Antivirus software is beneficial for a variety of reasons. Antivirus software has special signatures that protect against known technology workarounds and loopholes. Just make sure your software is up to date. New definitions are added regularly to keep up with the constant emergence of new schemes.To avoid phishing attempts, users should utilize anti-spyware and firewall settings and update their programmes regularly. By blocking attacks, firewall defence restricts access to dangerous files. Antivirus software checks every file that arrives on your computer over the Internet. Thus, it aids in the prevention of system harm.

According to Staff Perspective, the majority of U.S. firms utilize SPF but not DMARC. In fact, DMARC's "reject" policy — the strongest available mechanism – is used by less than 10% of the biggest internet firms in the United States to automatically prohibit unauthenticated email. Businesses who wish to halt phishing and better secure their brands should use DMARC, according to the report.