As a consulting firm, traditionally we have been opposed to wireless anything due to their unpredictability, especially peripherals which have a higher likelihood of having issues ranging from dead batteries to interference. Over the past few year’s we have learnt (often the hard way) what works and what doesn’t.

Our top Picks:

Best Value: Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse

At around $100, the ‘Logitech MX Master 2S’ is one of the best mice ever made for the workplace.
Key highlights are:
– Built-in rechargeable lithium battery with battery indicator (Lasts ~3 week with heavy use), 8 hours of runtime for 3 minutes of charging if you run short
– Excellent tracking over most surfaces and sensor accuracy
– Software customizable (sensitivity, speed)
– Connectivity: 2.4ghz receiver dongle & Bluetooth
– High-quality Full-size Ergonomic design with palm rest (Right Handed)
– Adjustable vertical scroll resistance, Hyperscroll and horizontal scroll
Potential Drawbacks
– Outdated USB Micro connector
– On the heavier side at ~150g
– Not suitable for left-handers or small hands

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3dzEiT1

Best Overall: Logitech MX Master 3S Wireless Mouse

An upgrade of the above champion makes the best better!
Key Highlights over the 2S:
– USB-C Charging connector instead of USB-Micro
– Excellent quality electromagnetic steel scroll wheels which offer an outstanding experience if you spend all day scrolling. This can be configured to ratchet, freewheel, or automatically ‘hyper-scroll’
– Quieter but less tactile clicks
– More accessible forward/back buttons
Potential Drawbacks
– Still no internal storage for the USB receiver making it impractical for portable use
– Slightly more expensive than the earlier generation 2S
– In very cold environments the metal scroll wheels can be uncomfortable

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3dyDhdY

Best All Rounder: Razer Basilisk X

At half the cost of the 3S, the Basilisk X is a surprising contender in the round up and not the flashy gaming product one would normally expect from Razer.
Key Highlights
– Lightweight at ~110g (with battery)
– Connectivity: USB Receiver Dongle & Bluetooth
– Good battery life of over a week on a single AA battery
– Durable Full-size design with non-striking looks
– Built-in holder for the receiver
– Mouse personalization is saved in internal memory
Potential Drawbacks
– No ability to charge the battery or use the mouse over USB (Will require disposable batteries or rechargeables)
– Good sensor tracking but far from the best on poor surfaces

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3AylFbj

Best Portable Mouse: Rapoo M100

Built to survive the extremes of living in the bottom of a backpack the Rapoo M100 is both durable and cheap enough that you won’t lose sleep if it gets lost. Dual connectivity options allow it to be used with the included RF adapter or connected without an adapter to
Key Highlights
– Small compact design
– Connectivity: USB Receiver Dongle & Bluetooth
– Long battery life (months) from a single AA battery
– Silent clicks, good for crowded environments
Potential Drawbacks
– Not comfortable for heavy use
– Feels ‘cheap’

Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3wfnRSc

RF vs Bluetooth

Not all wireless technologies are built equally and if you don’t mind the humble ‘RF Dongle’ being plugged in it can offer far better experience over Bluetooth. The major advantage of Bluetooth is its excellent power-saving ability which often leads to it offering the longest battery life and not needing a dongle making it ideal for laptops or devices without a USB port.

The biggest drawback to Bluetooth is it not being ‘plug & play’ requiring a fiddly pairing process and in some cases the mouse having reduced accuracy and appearing to lag.

Internal Rechargeable Batteries vs Replaceable Batteries

There is nothing worse than flat batteries! Battery and mouse technology has come along way over the past decade and both options have tradeoffs.
In most cases a mouse with a built-in rechargeable battery will be the best option however for applications such as traveling or gaming, having the ability to swap out a full battery on short notice may be desirable.

As a rule,
– Mice with built-in rechargeable batteries should have a battery level indicator, charge using a non-proprietary cable such as USB-C and have some form of fast-charging ability.
– If looking at a mouse with replaceable batteries, ensure you carry a laptop bag, backpack or have a nearby supply or reliable batteries. We recommend only using branded Duracell or Energizer Alkaline batteries or quality rechargeable batteries such as Panasonic Eneloop’s

What are your experiences with Wireless products, let us know in the comments below?

The post Best Wireless Mouse For Business first appeared on Air-Gap.

Hot to the search engine scene with over 4 million users is Presearch which offers users a privacy-focused experience backed with cryptocurrency. One of the current initiatives is ‘Key Word Staking’ which is intended to incentive holding the community token ‘PRE’ and allowers users to advertise based on particular search terms for as little as $10.00US .

The search engine has made a video outlining this process:

To put the claim to the test we created 3 keywords listing for one of the web tools we manage ‘whatsmyip.net.au‘ to drive traffic to the site whenever anyone types “what is my ip address”.

Surprisingly no one was running a stake on this phrase and we were able to create the add for ‘100 PRE’, if someone had created one we would have to outbid them. At the time of writing this is only a ‘stake’ and you can withdraw at any time with the balance being untouched.

Within 10 minutes our advertisement was live on the search engine to a global audience!

We created similar listing’s with different keywords and within minutes we could see our advertisements were getting views and clicking through to the site. Unlike Google Adwords you are not currently charged per view or click.

With this information we not only drive traffic to our site, but also get real-world data on how successful different search engine keyword combinations are before launching into other more expensive marketing channels.

We will update this article once we have long-term data on this project.

Do you use Presearch or have thoughts on Keyword Staking? Let us know in the comments below

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Ransomware is quickly becoming one of the largest threats to organisations of all shapes and sizes, and the stuff of nightmares for both IT professionals and business owners.

McAfee reports that ransomware attacks have doubled in 2019 and the reality is it’s a threat you’ve likely already experienced before or will in in the future in some form or another. If you’ve experienced ransomware before, the first thoughts are often denial, shock, helplessness, followed by anger. By the time you find out your network is infected by ransomware, it’s probably too late to stop it and you’ve been presented with a “pay up, or lose it” screen.

Before continuing, if your experiencing an active ransomware attack make sure you have completed the following steps:

1. Isolate the network to stop the attack spreading. Shutdown network switches, routers and modems
2. Call your IT Provider and executive manager, you may need to start your disaster plans.
3. Check your backups are intact, if they are secure the servers and start copying them onto an offline storage device (ie USB hard disk)
4. Start anti-virus scans, file search to identify how far the infection has spread
5. Identify ‘patient zero’ (source of the infection) and how it entered the system, ie clicking on an infected email

If you successfully caught the infection in time, cleaned up the infection with your anti-virus and restored lost files from backups, well done.
If your not so lucky your in for a rough ride.

One of the first objectives ransomware attacks when targeting your network is destroying your backups and restore points saved on both the local computer, and saved on network shares/devices.
If you’ve signed on and found everything gone, I’ll save you the ‘pep talk’ and leave it at your not the first and certainly won’t be the last.

Moving forward with no backups you have only 3 options;

1. Kiss your data goodbye and start wiping disks
2. Attempt to decrypt your data
3. Pay the ransom

The official rule is “never pay a ransom”, the funds will most likely be used to fund crime or terrorism and you have no guarantee the data will actually be decrypted. This is all high and mighty, but not when it’s your irreplaceable data!

How to proceed; (This is general advice)

1. Identify the type of type of ransomware that has infected your network.
   
   You might be able to restore the files for free.
   Some variants may have weaknesses that can be exploited to unlock the files and their may be notes from other unlucky individuals that have been successful/unsuccessful at recovering their files by paying the ransom.
   
   Online Ransomware Detection Tools:
   https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html
   https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com
   
   
2. Determine what files are missing and calculate the value/disruption of business for each file in dollars.
   If the files are only low value reference material that can be recreated or re-downloaded you might be able to write it off. On the other hand it’s irreplaceable or costly to reproduce you might want to consider paying the ransom
   
   
3. Call a local ‘Ransomware Recovery specialist’.  Once you know the type of ransomware, damage and have determined you need recovery you are best off contacting a specialist for assistance. They may be able to recover lost files without resorting to paying the ransomware or assist you through recovery process.
   
   
4. Consult with business owners, legal team and insurers on the legalities on paying the ransom. This is a very high risk transaction and may be against company policy or local laws to complete. Your insurer may refuse to reimburse you or might be able to provide additional resources.
   
   
5. Try to establish a dialogue with the attacker. Many attackers will decrypt a file as proof that they have the decryption key.
   If possible try to decrypt a single file for a smaller amount before paying the full amount.
   Paying an attacker does not guarantee the files will be decrypted, you are gambling and the odds are quiet literally 50/50.
   
   
6. Calculate and obtain the required bitcoin. Take note of the currency they expect it in. ie $5000usd of bitcoin.
   When transferring the money take extreme care that the transaction address is 100% correct, it’s impossible to reverse an incorrect transaction.
   
7. Wait. Automated schemes may send you the decrypt tool instantly, other days, weeks, months or not at all.
   
   

Don’t trust the attacker not to re-infect your network. Take lessons learned from the attack immediately to secure your network. ie Implement mail scanning, reducing access permissions, re-evaluating AV vendor, improving backup

Do you need help securing your network or recovering from a malware event?
Give us a call on 1300 733 240 or by sending us a message.

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Error Codes

Below are the possible error codes generated by the SDK from the b-PAC 3.1 SDK help document.

Source: Brother BPAC User Guide v3.1 (Compiled HTML Help file ‘.chm’)

Common Issues

• When creating a new bpac.DocumentClass you get the following or similar error message:
  
  Error Message ‘System.IO.FileNotFoundException: ‘Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {B940C105-7F01-46FE-BF41-E040B9BDA83D} failed due to the following error: 8007007e The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E).”
  Possible Cause: Incorrect bPac architecture installed for project, ie x64 Project and x86 b-PAC version installed.
  Solution: Install x64 b-PACSDK or Vice Versa
  
• No SDK Error, but print job not appearing in print que.
  Possible Cause: Printer not supported by x64 b-PAC SDK.
  Solution: Confirm if using x64 SDK, if so confirm if your printer is supported. Some older printers only have x32 support.
  https://www.brother.co.jp/eng/dev/bpac/environment/index.aspx
  

Did you find this article useful or do you have different issue?
Leave us a comment below

The post Brother B-PAC SDK Error Codes first appeared on Air-Gap.

• Files stored in SharePoint shouldn’t be emailed between staff, only the URL to the document. This just leads to duplicates of the same document and potentially it being accessed by someone who shouldn’t have permission.
  In most cases if you right click on the document there is a ‘share’ button which will automatically send the link to the file to a nominated person.

• Use the ‘Principle of least privilege’ and assign the least privileges to users or groups (ie Read Only) as opposed to ‘Full Control’ of the document or SharePoint site. Multiple user groups can be assigned to the resource and the permissions are cumulative meaning that if a individual user has additional higher permissions they will be used.

• Individual Sites should be created for each department to store files related to them.
  This helps simplify permissions, relevant communications and compartmentalise information.

• Consider creating new file libraries for each type of file instead of a new folder, this will simplify what tags will be available for the files within the library.

• Documents within a SharePoint Library shouldn’t be any more than 2 folders deep. Nested folders are slow both to use and search through in SharePoint, and often lead to multiple of the same file being created.

• Subsites shouldn’t be created anymore than ~5 deep off the root site. If your likely to be creating a substantial number of sites you should consider alternative topology’s such as ‘Hub Sites’ which is flat, as opposed to hierarchical.

• Where possible, keep file names short. Sharepoint generates a URL consisting of the main sites URL, subsite levels and file names.
  Sharepoint has a URL limit of 260 character’s for on premise and 400 characters for SharePoint online.

• Use tags instead of tacking on extensions or putting them in folders, ie ‘phonebook_2019CURRENT’
  This makes its less likely for files to be lost in nested folders, ability to filter documents based on metadata (tags) and easier to find.

• Document libraries shouldn’t have any more than ~5 column tags and be closely tied to the files stored within a library. If unlike files are being stored with different tags, consider storing them in a new document library with a different set of tags.

• Outdated irrelevant content should either be updated to remain relevant or archived.

• SharePoint sites are hierarchical and can have nested subsites off the Main Root site.
  You can take it a step future if you want to have additional team sites for each department (ie special project) however it should be regulated.

• SharePoint should not be treated as a ‘database’ when using large lists or excel spreadsheets. It has serious limitations when displaying or accessing over 5000 items and lacks the ability to efficiently query or join lists together are limited.

• If your going to be storing thousands of rows, have multiple applications using the list at the same time or requiring any level of performance you should strongly consider using a database instead. A MYSQL/ MS SQL database can easily be bolted onto SharePoint if necessary.

• Documents shouldn’t be embedded within lists, it’s a common workaround but is often responsible for slow performance and the inability to search for files.

• Don’t be afraid to integrate other Microsoft 365 Apps into SharePoint.
  Apps such as Microsoft Forms make it extremely easy to add common functionality such as creating a quick survey to post on a intranet or collect information from a end user.

• Don’t be intimated by complex SharePoint Workflows. Consider using Microsoft Flows which can perform a wide range of common workflows and easily integrate with other Microsoft products like Outlook. In many cases they already have a workflow template pre-made!

The post SharePoint Best Practices first appeared on Air-Gap.

There are two main categories of jigglers:

• Software Jigglers: A computer program that is installed on the host which automatically moves the cursor at a set interval.
  Pro’s: Cheap or Free, easily configurable, no extra circuitry
  Cons: User may not be authorised to install software, easy to detect by IT department
• Hardware jigglers: A device which tricks the operating system into thinking its a mouse.
  An onboard micro-controller generates random or predefined movements
  Pro’s: Plug & Play, No configuration, hard to detect, reliable
  Con’s: Costs money, harder to reprogram

In this article we will be using a Digispark which is an affordable development board powered by a ATtiny85 micro-controller running at 16MHZ with 6K usable flash which can communicate with a host over USB. These boards are incredibly capable and can be used for a wide range of tasks including injecting keystrokes and mouse movements.

When you get your Digispark it will look similar to the picture, for this project we will not be using header pins and we will be programming the device through USB.

1. 1. 1. The first step of programming the Digispark is downloading the latest Arduino programming IDE.
         https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
         
      2. Next is downloading and installing the Digispark drivers. You may need to accept multiple notifications through the install process.
         https://github.com/digistump/DigistumpArduino/releases
      3. Once both the Arduino IDE and Digispark drivers have been installed, add the digispark JSON configuration file to the IDE. This is done by opening the Arduino IDE, clicking on ‘File, Preferences’ and adding the following URL into the ‘Additional Boards Manager URL’s’ box, then click ‘OK’.

         https://raw.githubusercontent.com/digistump/arduino-boards-index/master/package_digistump_index.json

         

      4. Once installed, go-to Tools –> Board and select “Board Manager
         
      5. In the top left hand corner change the Type to “Contributed” and click the install button on the “Digistump AVR Boards by Digistump package”. This will allow the Arduino IDE to program the Digispark controllers.
         
      6. Once installed, go-to Tools –> Board and select “Digispark – Default 16.5mhz”. This set’s the IDE to compile the code for the Digispark board.
         
      7. Next go-to, Tools –>Programmer and set it as “USBtinyISP”
         
      8. We have created an opensource simple Mouse Jiggler sketch (program) for the Digispark v3 which moves the cursor every 10-30 seconds in a square pattern. Download and open it in Arduino IDE.
         Download: MouseJiggler.ino
      9. Click on the “Upload” button to compile the sketch and upload it to the Digispark.
         
      10. If successful, you should now see the Digispark flash every 10-30 seconds to indicate a ‘mouse jiggle’. The mouse movement should be near undetectable.

We hope you you enjoyed this post. If you did please leave us a comment below.

The post How to make a mouse jiggler with Digispark first appeared on Air-Gap.

Contrary to popular belief RSA SecureID hardware tokens do not have a radio receiver’s in them and don’t have anyway to communicate. In Fact they are actually more similar to a digital watch and operate on the principle of both parties knowing a shared secret, also known as symmetric key cryptography

When each RSA token is manufactured the current time is set alongside a unique 128bit ‘seed’ which is only known by the individual token and the manufacturer. Every 60 seconds the token generates a new 6 digit code using a mathematical formula containing elements of the secret seed value and current timestamp. Exactly how this algorithm works is still a secret, but what we publicly know is it’s based on a secure one way AES hash.

As the user signs in, the RSA’s authentication servers run the same formula using their copy of the same ‘seed value’ and the servers time which should generate the same code. If the codes don’t match, the server will run the same calculation but plus/minus a minute to check if the token is running a little fast or slow. Should one of those codes work the server will recognise that the built in clock of the token must have drifted and will apply a ‘token offset’ for next time.

If the codes are still not working despite a +- 1 minute correction, the server will calculate all the possible codes +- 10 minutes and try it against those. Should the code match any of these the authentication server will acknowledge it as a possible match and challenge the user by asking for the next code in the sequence to ensure it wasn’t just a lucky guess. If the code isn’t correct the user will need to contact the organisation and request a new token.

Despite these tokens working on straight-forward and relatively low-tech concepts, they are incredibly effective and significantly improve security when used for 2 Factor authentication. While not all services allow you to use RSA token, many popular services allow you to use apps like ‘Google Authenticator’ which operate very similarly.

Was this article useful and did you have any questions?
Leave us a comment below

The post How RSA SecureID tokens work first appeared on Air-Gap.

Using Excel formula’s you can easily create the raw SQL statements which can be executed on the database without the need for third-party plugins or special tools.

Creating Insert Statement’s

In this example we are wanting to insert 5 rows containing a staff members idNo and Name.

1) The first step is to arrange the data in the layout you want it to be inserted.

2) Double click into the next blank column beside you’re first row and insert the following formula.
= “insert into table_name (first_column,second_column) values ( ‘” & A2& “‘, ‘” & B2& “‘);”

3) You will need to start changing the 3 default formula values: table_name, first_column, second_column and cell no’s if they are different from this example. In this example we are using staff as the table name, idNo as the first column and Name as the second column.
If you are inserting more fields you will need to expand the formula by adding the extra column information.
For example: = “insert into staff (idNo,Name, Age) values ( ‘” & A2& “‘, ‘” & B2& “‘, ‘” & D2& “‘);”

4) Click enter when you have finished modifying the required fields, you should see your SQL insert Statement for the first column.

5) Click on the right hand corner of the SQL statement and drag it down to the last column.

6)When you let go, excel should automatically generate the remaining SQL statements. These can be copied out and executed on your database.

Creating Update Statements

A similar technique can be used to create ‘Update’ statements. In this example we are updating the ‘rrp’ field of the ‘stock’ table for a particular ‘partNo’. The ‘partName’ column is unused in this example and is typical of what you may find in the real world, you should always update rows using the tables unique ‘Primary Key’.

1) Like the first example, layout your data into columns

2) Double click into the next blank column beside you’re first row and insert the following formula.
= “update table_name set column_value_to_update = ‘” & C2 & “‘ where column_primaryKey = ‘” & A2 & “‘;”

3) Change the 3 default formula values: table_name, column_value_to_update, column_primaryKey and the cell no’s if they are different from this example.

4) When you are happy with the formula, drag down the cell to generate the SQL statement

Did you find this guide useful?
Leave us a commend below

The post Creating MYSQL Insert and Update statements with EXCEL first appeared on Air-Gap.

You don’t need to turn your office into Fort Knox to be secure! The following tips can greatly increase the difficulty of an attacker compromising your building.

Enforce a sign in policy for visitors

• All visitors into your building should be signed in at reception. This ensures you have a record of who is in the building at all times and who they are visiting.
• Always ask for Photo ID of new visitors to confirm their identity, and ask who they are visiting and the purpose of their visit. If you have any suspicious about the person, don’t be afraid to question them further and confirm with the staff member was expecting someone.
• Consider using a digital visitor system instead of a paper visitor book. Not only does this give a good impression to visitors, it ensures personal information from other visitors isn’t on display or can be stolen, provides real-time data as to who is in the building and can provide alerts if someone is banned from the premises.
• Visitors should be required to wear a visitors badge at all times and be escorted around the building by a staff member.
• Ensure staff enforce that all visitors must sign in and vigilant of people trying to sneak in via alternative entry points.

Keep IT infrastructure and sensitive information out of sight

• Computer in high traffic areas should be out of sight such as under desk to prevent tampering, like plugging in a USB stick without the operators knowledge.
• Networking equipment should be in a locked cabinet
• Disable unused network points and enable port security features such as mac address filtering.
• Be aware of what the visitors can see when roaming around the building: Nearby computer screens, whiteboards, documents left on desks.

Computer Equipment must be password protected

It sounds basic and low-tech, but a open computer is a gold-mine for even a novice attacker to exploit.

• All computers should be password protected with a non generic password
• Passwords should not be written down on a sticky note next stuck to the screen or on the bottom of the keyboard. Honestly it happens more than you think!
• Enforce a policy that all workstations must be locked if the user is moving out of arm’s reach.
• Computer should be set to timeout and require a password if inactive for 15 minutes.

Clean Desk Policy

Clean desk policies can seem pedantic, but they have a valid purpose beyond just keeping a neat appearance. Cluttered desks significantly increases the risk of data-loss and misplacement of sensitive information.

• When leaving the workplace temporarily all visibly sensitive documents should be filled or removed from sight and the workstation locked.
• Each task’s paperwork and documentation should be filed away before starting the next
• At the end of each day all sensitive documents, portable equipment such as laptops, security tokens, USB keys and directories should be locked away. All unneeded notes, paperwork and rubbish should be securely disposed of.

CCTV, security systems and motion lighting

• All entry points into the building should have exterior CCTV cameras, it’s not overly expensive nowadays for a digital setup which can clearly capture faces and number plates. Even something as simple as a $50 IP camera at reception is a huge deterrent.
• Your building should have a multi-zone alarm system with 3G backup which sends a message to a nominated number on activation. An attacker or burglar can do far less damage if they only have 10 minutes than all night if your not aware someone else in the building.
• Motion activated flood lights should be installed on all entry/exit points. Paired with cameras it can really turn a stealth entry into a public affair.

Beef up your exterior protection

• Installing metal plates over the gap between the door and frame offers moderate protection against being forced open with a crowbar
• Consider installing plastic guards over door handles and lock tabs to prevent an attacker using a piece of wire or tools to unlock the door.
• Security films can be excellent deterrent for would be attacks for a fraction of the cost of replacing windows. This holds the window together and prevents it instantly shattering when smashed with a object and can significantly slow down an attacker.
• Prune large plants around the building and car park which could conceal an attacker

Implement Keyless entry cards

Key-cards can seem like unneeded high-tech junk for a small business, but it serves a valid purpose.

Unlike a traditional keyed locks, a key-card can be tracked down to who opened what door at a certain time. If a access card is lost, compromised or an employer has left the card can be disabled.

Keep an inventory of equipment

One of the first signs of a security breach is missing equipment. Without a regular inventory and asset register you may never realize the full extent of the incident.

A register can help you establish exactly what items are missing and provide in depth details on  ownership, serial numbers and a indication of what information may have been compromised. Checkout our article 10 reasons why you should be using asset registers to see more important reasons why.

Secure Disposal of documents and old IT equipment

What goes into the building, often gets thrown out!

• Ensure all sensitive documents are shredded or destroyed before being disposed of in the trash.
• Computer equipment should be sanitised before disposal. Checkout our article ‘What Secrets are you giving away with your old it equipment’ to learn more about how to safely dispose of equipment.

Staff Training

Your staff are often the first point of contact with attacks, quality training can allow them to identify and avoid situations which don’t quite look right

• Provide education on common social Engineering techniques (phone, email, in person)
• Instruct staff to not plug in lost USB keys which may have been found on the premises, they may have deliberately been left there!
• Educate staff on the email phishing, checkout our guide How To Spot Phishing Emails

Regularly Perform An Audit

Inspecting your premises and checking to see if staff are following the correct procedures on a regular basis is core part of maintaining a secure environment.
At-least on a monthly basis you should be checking that:

• Check all external windows, doors, locks  lights and security measures are in good condition
• Check all cameras are recording correctly and producing a good image
• Inspect all computers and networking equipment for tampering
• Review staff compliance of security policies: Leaving computers unlocked, sensitive information on desk, correct completion of visitor logs<
• It’s also a good time to check your backups, including your offsite one

Does your organisation need help improving or reviewing their security?
Drop us a line on 1300 733 240 or send us message to get in contact

What ways do you keep your premises secure? Leave us a comment below

The post Improving your organization’s physical security first appeared on Air-Gap.

Increasingly fraudulent emails have become very deceptive with some being almost indistinguishable to genuine emails, this guide will help teach you some tricks to spot phishing .

1) Look at the email address

The easiest way to weed out the worst of the scam messages is looking at the email address its common from. If it ends in an unfamiliar domain like ‘.ru, .online, .store’, looks a little strange or has a spelling mistake like service@paypall.com with two L’s it’s almost certainly a scam as the address is taking you to a different site. Just note that email address its appearing to come from can be faked!

2) Different Reply address

An attacker almost always wants the ability to receive an email back from you, even if they appear to appear to have sent it from a fake email address. Click reply and see if the address changes.
If the new email is not identical to the alleged sender, especially if it goes to a free email account like Gmail or a strange email addresses its most likely fake.

3) Spelling Mistakes

Very rarely do large companies make obvious spelling mistakes in their emails. Spam and phishing messages may have poor spelling due to having a poor understanding of English or may even be added intentionally so all but the most gullible targets fall for it, making it more efficient for the attacker.

4) Hover over links

As a rule you should never click on links in emails as they may sneakily lead to a different website than what they display. Hover the mouse pointer over the link with your mouse and look at the URL in the box below. If it doesn’t match exactly match the above text its almost certainly a scam.

5) Urgent sounding

Most malicious messages want you to react urgently and perform a task such as verifying sensitive information, logging into an account, sending money or to click on a link to claim a parcel. While not evidence any urgent sounding or bizarre email should raise suspicion.

6) Is the email personalised with your personal details?

It’s unlikely your Bank or Colleagues have forgotten your name! Important emails should be personally addressed with your Full name and if applicable account number. Generic titles such as ‘Dear Sir’, ‘Dear Madam’, ‘Dear Friend’ is good warning size.

7) Verify the contact details in the signature field

If you have doubts about the email, check the name, job title and look at the log. Does the name sounds overly generic, is that person who you normally talk too and does the contact number match your the details you have on file?

8) Call the company

If your still not completely convinced there is no shame in giving the company a call and confirming if they sent the email. Make sure you call the company by visiting their official website or through the Yellow Pages and do not use the contact details from the email. Emails requesting you change the banking details of a organisation should always be confirmed with a phone call.

9) Unusual Attachments

You should always be careful opening attachments, especially if they have unusual file extensions like ‘.js’, ‘.vbs’, ‘.exe’ hidden inside of a zip file. Many new attackers are no longer sending these attachments due to spam filters stopping them, its becoming common now to send a pdf with a shortened URL linked to a phishing site.

10) Trust your instincts

Sometimes you will just have a gut feeling something isn’t right but you can’t just put pinpoint exactly what is. Don’t ignore this feeling, often its normally right! When in doubt treat it as suspect and get someone else to look at it. Its always better to play it safe.

11) Take the Test

Are you ready to see how good your skills are?
Click on the link below and see if you can spot the difference between genuine and phishing emails!

https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/

If you think you think you may have accidentally fallen a phishing email don’t panic and don’t try to ignore it. The faster you act the less damage can be caused.
Take a screen shot of the email or the website you visited, note down what information may have been compromised (ie bank credentials) and contact the organisation to alert them. If something was possibly downloaded or an attachment clicked, immediately contact your IT Support.

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