What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a form of cyberattack in which criminals impersonate a trusted person or organization to trick you into clicking a malicious link, opening a dangerous attachment, or revealing sensitive information such as passwords, financial data, or business credentials.

Phishing attacks often appear to come from legitimate sources like Microsoft 365, your bank, a shipping company, a vendor, or even a coworker. Their goal is to convince you to act before you stop and question whether the message is genuine. Every day, cybercriminals send millions of phishing emails hoping that just one person will click. According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), more than 90% of successful cyberattacks start with a phishing email. (https://www.cisa.gov/shields-guidance-families)

They don’t need to break through your firewall or defeat sophisticated security software. Often, all they need is one employee who is busy, distracted, or simply trying to get through their inbox.

That is why phishing remains one of the leading causes of ransomware attacks, business email compromise, and data breaches.

Why Phishing Matters

Studies consistently show that the vast majority of successful cyberattacks begin with phishing. One click on a malicious link can give attackers access to your email, business files, financial information, or customer data.

Phishing emails are designed to create a sense of urgency and often claim things like:

• Your Microsoft 365 password is about to expire.
• An invoice is overdue.
• Your account has been suspended.
• A package could not be delivered.
• A coworker needs you to review an attached document immediately.

Their goal is simple: get you to click before you have time to think.

How to Recognize a Phishing Email

Before clicking a link or opening an attachment, take a moment to look for these warning signs:

• The sender’s email address doesn’t quite match the company it claims to represent.
• The message creates unnecessary urgency or pressure.
• Links point somewhere different than the text suggests (hover over them before clicking).
• You receive an attachment you weren’t expecting.
• The message asks for passwords, payment information, or sensitive company data.

If something feels suspicious, trust your instincts and verify the request before taking action.

How to Protect Yourself

Simple habits can dramatically reduce your risk:

• Verify the sender’s email address carefully.
• Never click links unless you are confident they are legitimate.
• Hover over links before clicking to see where they actually lead.
• Avoid opening unexpected attachments.
• Always verify requests involving payments, wire transfers, or sensitive information.
• Report suspicious emails to your IT department or your Computers, Inc. Gold Key support team.

What If You Clicked?

Don’t panic—but act quickly.

• Disconnect your computer from Wi-Fi or the network if possible.
• Do not enter your password or any other information on the suspicious website.
• Contact Computers, Inc. immediately.
• Do not delete the email—it may help identify what happened and limit further damage.

The sooner your IT team responds, the better the chance of preventing a larger incident.

The Bottom Line

Phishing attacks continue to evolve, but they all rely on the same thing: convincing someone to trust something they shouldn’t.

Technology such as email filtering, endpoint protection, and Multi-Factor Authentication provides important layers of defense—but an informed employee is still one of the strongest security tools any business has.

Taking a few extra seconds to verify an email before clicking can prevent hours—or even days—of downtime.

Continue Reading

🔗 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

🔗 Device Code Phishing

🔗 Password Security

🔗 Business Email Compromise (coming soon)