What two things should you do if you suspect an email contains malware?

Phishing (pronounced: fishing) is an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information -- such as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords -- on websites that pretend to be legitimate. Cybercriminals typically pretend to be reputable companies, friends, or acquaintances in a fake message, which contains a link to a phishing website. Phishing is a popular form of cybercrime because of how effective it is. Cybercriminals have been successful using emails, text messages, and direct messages on social media or in video games, to get people to respond with their personal information. The best defense is awareness and knowing what to look for. Here are some ways to recognize a phishing email: • Urgent call to action or threats - Be suspicious of emails that claim you must click, call, or open an attachment immediately. Often, they'll claim you have to act now to claim a reward or avoid a penalty. Creating a false sense of urgency is a common trick of phishing attacks and scams. They do that so that you won't think about it too much or consult with a trusted advisor who may warn you. Tip: Whenever you see a message calling for immediate action take a moment, pause, and look carefully at the message. Are you sure it's real? Slow down and be safer. • First time or infrequent senders - While it's not unusual to receive an email from someone for the first time, especially if they are outside your organization, this ca...

End-to-End Email Security Defend your organization with a complete email security solution designed to identify, protect, detect & respond to threats. Security Awareness Training Condition your workforce against today’s latest threats and transform them into your front line of defense. Global Intelligence Network Protect your organization with our deep analysis into the current threat landscape and emerging trends. Cofense vs. The Competition See why the Cofense Intelligent Email Security suite stands out against the competition Business Email Compromise (BEC) BEC amounts to an estimated $500 billion-plus annually that’s lost to fraud. Ensure your business is protected. Ransomware & Malware Phishing is the #1 attack vector for ransomware attacks. Stop phishing attacks in their tracks. Credential Theft Protect your user’s credentials and avoid a widespread, malicious attack. • Email Security for the Enterprise Complete threat protection, detection and response tailored for enterprise businesses. Email Security for the Mid Market Security awareness training + email security protection purpose-built for your mid-market organizations. Email Security for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) Best-in-Class Phishing Protection and Simulations designed for MSPs, from the ground up. Managed Email Security Solutions Protect your organization from attacks with managed services from the Cofense Phishing Defense Center™. Detect and Stop Attacks Automatically identify and quarantine email th...

By • • What is an email virus? An email Email viruses often spread by causing the malicious message to be sent to everyone in the original victim's address book. Simply put, an email virus is a malicious code or a link to malicious code sent via email. The virus has the ability to replicate itself so it can quickly spread from one device to another. Thus, an email virus can not only infect the victim's computer, but it can also infect the computers of everyone in the victim's address book or those sharing the same network. There are three primary ways an email virus can infect a victim's email and computer: • via a • included in an attachment • embedded within the email body Email viruses often look like • .exe • .dll • .com • .bat • .cmd • .pif • .scr • .dot • .xls • .xlt • .docm • .pdf Email can serve as a delivery mechanism for all types of malware. How to recognize an email virus The various types of email viruses present themselves differently, so it's not always possible to recognize when an email message contains a virus. Some infected emails have subject lines that don't make sense -- e.g., they contain gibberish text or strange special characters -- making them easy to spot. The other header fields and body content of the email may also look peculiar in some way. In other cases, the sender may be unknown to the user, which may raise the user's suspicion. But other email messages containing viruses can be more difficult for recipients to identify. In such cases, th...

Here, I’m going to reveal how to spot the dangerous email attachments and the five different file types that you need to be particularly wary of opening. Please don’t think this list is exhaustive - almost any type of file can carry malware - but these are the types that are most commonly used to infect your system with spyware, ransomware and other malware that you most definitely do not want on your system. How to spot dangerous attachments Dangerous email attachments will often try and disguise themselves as something else. In the example shown below, for example, the scammers include a blurry delivery slip image in the body of the email - purportedly from courier firm DHL. They then include an attachment that starts with “IMG” to convince you to click on what looks like an image file, so you can get a clearer view of that delivery slip. However, it’s not the three letters at the start of a filename that you should be concerned with - it’s the three or four letters at the end, after the dot. These reveal the type of file. The fraudsters often use long attachment filenames so that you can’t see the letters at the end, known as file extensions. However, if you hover the mouse over the attachment in most email software or webmail (such as Gmail) the full name of the file will be revealed, including the file extension at the end. Whatever you do, do not click on the attachment. In this instance, the file extension was .r09 - a compressed file type commonly used by the WinRA...

Malware is a hazard of digital life. This insidious software is designed to prey on personal computers, smartphones and tablets, and infection can result in your personal information being compromised. These tips can help you recover from an attack or, better yet, prevent contact with malware from occurring in the first place. What Is Malware? Criminals use these nasty programs to destroy data, steal personal information and hold data hostage in a bid to extort money. At best, infection causes your device to perform poorly; at worst, it renders it useless. A malware attack typically begins when pernicious code copies itself onto your device. It can do so in a variety of ways, including masquerading as a legitimate file you download, piggybacking on a legit download, or transferring from an infected web server, USB drive or other storage device. Malware, by design, is difficult to remove from your device, but with the right tools and some persistence it's possible to purge the pernicious code. How Do You Get Rid of Malware? 1. Get Offline If you've been infected, disconnecting from the internet can stop malware from transmitting your personal information and prevent the use of your device to infect others (including your contacts). The key is being quick about noticing you're infected, however. 2. Run Anti-Malware Software Use a commercial anti-malware or If its scan detects an infection, follow the anti-malware program's prompts to remove the offending code. Some malware c...

Are you sure that email from UPS is actually from UPS? (Or Costco, BestBuy, or the myriad of unsolicited emails you receive every day?) Companies and individuals are often targeted by cybercriminals via emails designed to look like they came from a legitimate bank, government agency, or organization. In these emails, the sender asks recipients to click on a link that takes them to a page where they will confirm personal data, account information, etc. Think You've Had a Data Breach? What is phishing? This technique is called phishing, and it’s a way hackers con you into providing your personal information or account data. Once your info is obtained, hackers create new user credentials or Phishing emails today rarely begin with, "Salutations from the son of the deposed Prince of Nigeria..." and it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish a fake email from a verified one. But, most have subtle hints of their scammy nature. Here are seven email phishing examples to help you recognize a malicious email and maintain email security. What is a common indicator of a phishing attack? Requests for personal information, generic greetings or lack of greetings, misspellings, unofficial "from" email addresses, unfamiliar webpages, and misleading hyperlinks are the most common indicators of a phishing attack. Need Security Training for Your Team? Email phishing examples 1. Legit companies don’t request your sensitive information via email Chances are if you receive an unsolicited...

Phishing (pronounced: fishing) is an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal information -- such as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords -- on websites that pretend to be legitimate. Cybercriminals typically pretend to be reputable companies, friends, or acquaintances in a fake message, which contains a link to a phishing website. Phishing is a popular form of cybercrime because of how effective it is. Cybercriminals have been successful using emails, text messages, and direct messages on social media or in video games, to get people to respond with their personal information. The best defense is awareness and knowing what to look for. Here are some ways to recognize a phishing email: • Urgent call to action or threats - Be suspicious of emails that claim you must click, call, or open an attachment immediately. Often, they'll claim you have to act now to claim a reward or avoid a penalty. Creating a false sense of urgency is a common trick of phishing attacks and scams. They do that so that you won't think about it too much or consult with a trusted advisor who may warn you. Tip: Whenever you see a message calling for immediate action take a moment, pause, and look carefully at the message. Are you sure it's real? Slow down and be safer. • First time or infrequent senders - While it's not unusual to receive an email from someone for the first time, especially if they are outside your organization, this ca...

Malware is a hazard of digital life. This insidious software is designed to prey on personal computers, smartphones and tablets, and infection can result in your personal information being compromised. These tips can help you recover from an attack or, better yet, prevent contact with malware from occurring in the first place. What Is Malware? Criminals use these nasty programs to destroy data, steal personal information and hold data hostage in a bid to extort money. At best, infection causes your device to perform poorly; at worst, it renders it useless. A malware attack typically begins when pernicious code copies itself onto your device. It can do so in a variety of ways, including masquerading as a legitimate file you download, piggybacking on a legit download, or transferring from an infected web server, USB drive or other storage device. Malware, by design, is difficult to remove from your device, but with the right tools and some persistence it's possible to purge the pernicious code. How Do You Get Rid of Malware? 1. Get Offline If you've been infected, disconnecting from the internet can stop malware from transmitting your personal information and prevent the use of your device to infect others (including your contacts). The key is being quick about noticing you're infected, however. 2. Run Anti-Malware Software Use a commercial anti-malware or If its scan detects an infection, follow the anti-malware program's prompts to remove the offending code. Some malware c...

End-to-End Email Security Defend your organization with a complete email security solution designed to identify, protect, detect & respond to threats. Security Awareness Training Condition your workforce against today’s latest threats and transform them into your front line of defense. Global Intelligence Network Protect your organization with our deep analysis into the current threat landscape and emerging trends. Cofense vs. The Competition See why the Cofense Intelligent Email Security suite stands out against the competition Business Email Compromise (BEC) BEC amounts to an estimated $500 billion-plus annually that’s lost to fraud. Ensure your business is protected. Ransomware & Malware Phishing is the #1 attack vector for ransomware attacks. Stop phishing attacks in their tracks. Credential Theft Protect your user’s credentials and avoid a widespread, malicious attack. • Email Security for the Enterprise Complete threat protection, detection and response tailored for enterprise businesses. Email Security for the Mid Market Security awareness training + email security protection purpose-built for your mid-market organizations. Email Security for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) Best-in-Class Phishing Protection and Simulations designed for MSPs, from the ground up. Managed Email Security Solutions Protect your organization from attacks with managed services from the Cofense Phishing Defense Center™. Detect and Stop Attacks Automatically identify and quarantine email th...

Are you sure that email from UPS is actually from UPS? (Or Costco, BestBuy, or the myriad of unsolicited emails you receive every day?) Companies and individuals are often targeted by cybercriminals via emails designed to look like they came from a legitimate bank, government agency, or organization. In these emails, the sender asks recipients to click on a link that takes them to a page where they will confirm personal data, account information, etc. Think You've Had a Data Breach? What is phishing? This technique is called phishing, and it’s a way hackers con you into providing your personal information or account data. Once your info is obtained, hackers create new user credentials or Phishing emails today rarely begin with, "Salutations from the son of the deposed Prince of Nigeria..." and it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish a fake email from a verified one. But, most have subtle hints of their scammy nature. Here are seven email phishing examples to help you recognize a malicious email and maintain email security. What is a common indicator of a phishing attack? Requests for personal information, generic greetings or lack of greetings, misspellings, unofficial "from" email addresses, unfamiliar webpages, and misleading hyperlinks are the most common indicators of a phishing attack. Need Security Training for Your Team? Email phishing examples 1. Legit companies don’t request your sensitive information via email Chances are if you receive an unsolicited...