As you read this, scores of hackers are barraging your network looking for ways to defraud your business.

In a practice called “phishing,” hackers are sending emails embedded with false links and advertisements, and are using advanced social engineering tactics to trick unsuspecting users into handing over their sensitive data.

These hackers—scores of them—are working around the clock, meaning your network is constantly under cyberattack.

This problem of phishing for information is nothing new. The first phishing scams, in fact, originated in the mid-1990s as the Web was first proliferating. Over the years, however, phishing—and “spear phishing,” which involves targeting specific Internet users, has become much more widespread. Recent research from the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) indicates that the number of observed phishing attacks during 1Q16 reached a 12-year high.  APWG reported a 250 percent increase in phishing sites between October 2015 and March 2016.

Here are some interesting findings from APWG’s benchmark report: 

• The U.S. topped the list of countries with the most hosted phishing websites. 
• The most infected countries are China, where 57.24 percent of all computers are infected with malware; Taiwan, where 49.15 percent of computers are infected; and Turkey, at 42.52 percent.
• During 1Q16, 20 million new types of malware were captured.
• The retail/service sector was the most targeted industry in 1Q16.

So, what can you do to protect your network from phishing attacks?

The answer is simple: You need to educate your employees about the dangers that are lurking on the Internet. The Web is not a safe place, and it’s very easy for an unsuspecting user to get hoodwinked into complying with a malicious request.

Sure, it’s also important to equip your network with the most up-to-date security patches, back up your data and use a strong firewall to block harmful traffic. Even the most stringent security measures, however, will only go so far if your employees are uneducated about the latest cybersecurity risks.

Apex Technology Services offers comprehensive cybersecurity training for businesses. Ensure that all of your workers are up to date with critical knowledge about phishing and malware by enrolling them in the training course.

For more information, click here.

A new breed of hacktrepeneurs has awoken and they have little to fear and everything to gain by infecting as many companies as possible and extorting money from them. Apex Technology Services stands ready to protect your company regardless of whether it’s located in New York City; White Plains, New York; Connecticut; Australia; Europe; or anywhere else. Our full suite of cybersecurity and IT support services is at your disposal, enabling you to spend less time worrying about and more time growing your business.

In addition, our new Cybersecurity Compliance Certification for law firms will help keep your legal practice from becoming the next Panama Papers victim. This baseline cybersecurity audit for the legal industry should be considered seriously by all law firms.