Cynch Security

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Keep the Grinch out of your inbox these holidays

Email is the lifeblood of most organisations and at this time of the year they’re coming thick and fast. While you might be busy working towards a well earned break, cyber criminals see the next month as their chance to strike.

Think about the messages you’re expecting this time of year;

  • last minute deals from cherished brands,

  • delivery notices and tax receipts for gifts you purchased,

  • invitations to end of year functions,

  • thank you messages from everyone you dealt with or would like to deal with.

It only takes throwing one well-timed dodgy email into this mix to make a recipe for disaster.

While the chaos of the run up to the holidays is unavoidable, you can make life harder for cyber attackers by slowing down and thinking before you act. Here are some examples of the sorts of dodgy messages you and your team might see over the coming weeks.

False invoices

https://www.xero.com/blog/security-noticeboard/

Parcel delivery notifications

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/about-our-site/online-security-scams-fraud/scam-alerts

Surprise gift cards

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/about-us/scam-alert

Dodgy holiday promos

https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/11/17/phishing-emails-double-in-november-in-run-up-to-black-friday-and-cyber-monday