05 Sep What is Smishing?

SMSishing, also known as SMS phishing or smishing, is a type of cyberattack or social engineering technique where malicious actors send fraudulent or deceptive text messages to individuals in an attempt to trick them into revealing sensitive information or taking harmful actions. The term “smishing” is a portmanteau of “SMS” (Short Message Service) and “phishing.”

These text messages often appear to come from a trusted source, such as a bank, government agency, or well-known company, and they typically contain a sense of urgency or a call to action to prompt the recipient to respond. The ultimate goal of smishing attacks can vary but often includes:

Identity Theft: Scammers may attempt to steal personal information like Social Security numbers, bank account details, or login credentials.

Financial Fraud: They might try to trick victims into making payments to the attacker, often under the pretext of unpaid bills or fines.

Malware Distribution: Some smishing messages may contain links to websites or downloads that, when clicked, install malware or malicious software on the recipient’s device.

Credential Theft: The attackers may attempt to obtain usernames and passwords for online accounts.

To prevent smishing attacks, IT stakeholders at high trust SMBs should implement best practices such as:

1.Educate employees: Train employees on how to identify smishing attacks and what actions to take if they receive a suspicious text message.

2. Implement security solutions: Deploy mobile device management (MDM) solutions that can detect and prevent smishing attacks. These solutions can also enforce security policies on mobile devices to reduce the risk of attacks.

3. Use two-factor authentication: Implement two-factor authentication for accessing company resources to add an extra layer of security against smishing attacks.

4. Monitor for suspicious activity: Monitor for suspicious SMS traffic and investigate any anomalies.

In conclusion, smishing attacks are a growing threat to high trust SMBs. IT stakeholders should take proactive measures to mitigate the risk of these attacks and ensure the security of their organization’s sensitive information. By implementing best practices and staying vigilant, high trust SMBs can protect themselves against the latest phishing threats.

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ALTOURAGE ON CYBERSECURITY

Few areas in the information technology space draw as much focus and concern as cybersecurity, and rightly so. Threats that were once the concern of governments and enterprises now frequently target small and midsized business. In addition, cybersecurity requirements from clients, partners, investors, insurers, and regulators continue to grow. 

Our cybersecurity team delivers complete protection across endpoints, servers, networks and cloud platforms. Employing industry-leading next-gen firewalls and antivirus protection, intelligent web filtering, data-loss prevention tools, threat intelligence, and training and testing tools, our NIST-based, data-centric approach to cybersecurity ensures your people, data, and customers remain as safe as possible. 

To learn more about how we can help your company develop and execute a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, reach out to us Contact us today: https://altourage.com/contact/