Malware never stops, and neither do the unsavory individuals who regularly employ it against people and companies. If you want to keep a sharper eye out for these digital attacks on your business, teach your workers to watch out for the following three popular techniques.

Technique 1: Clickbait

Clickbait attacks make use of tantalizing news headlines, article titles, or special offers to tempt computer users to click on the provided links. Of course, those links actually lead, not to juicy gossip or useful information, but to trouble. Worse, users may be encouraged to share the link with countless friends and coworkers, essentially serving as “malware mules” for the bad guys.

Technique 2: False Legal Notices

Some of the legitimate-looking emails and texts distributed by malware perpetrators prey on computer users’ fears by generating anxiety and a sense of urgency. The message in question might warn users that they have committed a copyright breach or other legal infraction that requires their immediate correction “or else” while (of course) providing a phony link to the means of corrections. Perhaps the most notorious examples involve ransomware messages warning that the FBI or some other authority will lock the alleged offenders’ computers unless they pay a fine.

Technique 3: Counterfeit Security Updates

We’re all used to receiving periodic messages from financial institutions, social media platforms, and other sources recommending that we make some necessary update to improve an account’s online security, or that we perform an immediate security patch on our devices. Unfortunately, the routine nature of these requests can lull many computer users into simply following the instructions without first checking to see if the message actually comes from the provider in question.

Gravity Systems can help you protect your business against a wide range of data security threats. Contact us today!