How the SLAM Approach Can Help Detect Phishing
There is a reason you almost always see phishing as a part of security awareness training. It has been the primary method of online attack over the past decade or two. Phishing emails are used to initiate ransomware, credential theft, data breaches and more. In an effort to keep you protected, learn how the SLAM approach can help detect phishing.
You might be wondering why phishing is still such a serious concern. It’s because phishing still works. These scams evolve as the technology changes. For instance, AI technology making it easier to pinpoint targets for these scammers.
If these phishing techniques stop working, the scammers will just switch to a different type of attack. But, for now that hasn’t happened. People are falling victim to phishing scams everyday. They are tricked into opening malicious emails with unsafe URLs and attachments, all to gain passwords and other login credentials.
In May of last year, phishing was up 281%. This May these scams are up another 284%.
Studies show that after the 6 month mark of cyber training, an employees ability to detect phishing begin to decline. They start forgetting what they’ve learned, which always negatively affects cybersecurity.
That’s why we put together the SLAM technique. To help your staff remember how to identify phishing.
What is the SLAM Technique?
One of the best ways in helping people remember information is by using an acronym. SLAM stands for the 4 important areas of an email that you should check before trusting it.
S – Sender
L – Links
A – Attachments
M – Message text
Employees can use SLAM as a checklist when receiving questionable emails. It makes remembering what to look for much easier. They are able to avoid overlooking something important. All they have to do is check off the acronyms cues.
Verify the Sender
The first thing you should ALWAYS check is the sender of the email. Scammers love to use look-alike email addresses or a counterfeit email address. It can be easy to mistake a fake address for the real one.
Let’s look at an example of a phishing email domain.
“@local.bankofamerica.com”
The scammers are trying to trick you into believing you received an email from Bank of America. When actuality you haven’t. They use the legitimate URL inside a fake one.
They will also send you a very persuasive email. Lot’s of commonly seen visuals and wording. Emails like that trick a lot of people into divulging their personal details. If you don’t verify the sender, these emails can look perfectly normal. Scammers acting as a bank trying to get you to apply for a credit card can easily get you to turn over your social security number, income and other personal information.
An easy tip is to type the email address into google. You will quickly reveal if that domain is behind other scams.
Hover Over Links Instead of Clicking
It’s common practice for emails to include hyperlinks. Often, they are able to bypass antivirus and anti-malware detection. These filters scan files for malware-containing attachments. However, a link to a risky website might not contain dangerous code.
In an email, links can take the form of hyperlinked text, graphics, and buttons. It’s important to hover over links without clicking on them in order to see their actual URLs. This frequently can identify a phony email scam right away.
If you are checking emails on your mobile device, this may be a little tricky. If you are in a situation without a mouse, it’s best to avoid clicking the URL at all. Visit the alleged website instead to verify the accuracy to the message.
Never Open Unexpected or Strange Attachments
Scammers still like to use file attachments in their phishing emails. The messaging on the email will try very hard to get you to open the attachment. They will use familiar words and document titles to get you to click without thinking too much into it.
It’s hard to determine which file types to avoid opening. Cybercriminals are skilled at introducing malware into all different kinds of documents. Even some PDFs have been known to contain viruses.
Never open a file attachment that seems odd or unexpected. Scan all attachments with an antivirus/anti-malware program before opening.
Carefully Read the Messaging
We have gotten really good at scanning through emails. This skill helps to quickly move a long the constant new information we receive daily. However, if you mistakenly skim through a phishing email, you can miss several obvious red flags.
Look at the phishing illustration that was presented in the “Links” section above. The second sentence contains a minor grammatical mistake. Did you catch it?
Instead of saying “We confirm that your item has shipped,” it reads “We confirmation that your item has sent.” Although they might be challenging to see, these mistakes are a huge giveaway that the email is not authentic.
Get Support Fighting Phishing Attacks
We hope you can see how the SLAM approach can help detect phishing. Defenses against phishing attacks can overall be strengthened by security software and awareness training alike. To discuss your needs for email security, contact us today.
If you’d like to find out more about what’s new in the tech world, make sure to follow our blog!
Click here to schedule a free 15-minute meeting with Stan Kats, our Founder, and Chief Technologist.
STG IT Consulting Group proudly provides IT Service in Greater Los Angeles and the surrounding areas for all of your IT needs.
