Did you know that sharing too much information on Social Media makes it that much easier for cyber-criminals to target you for a Spear Phishing attack?

In under 5 minutes, Ben Schmerler shows you 3 ways to avoid becoming the victim of Spear Phishing.

Social Media has clearly changed how we communicate and connect with one another. While there are a lot of legitimate criticisms of social media. It does allow us to make great connections with people who are not always physically present. 

While we don’t want to discourage sharing with friends and loved ones, we do want to encourage avoiding oversharing on Social Media, as it can expose a user big time to a Spear Phishing Attack. 

Spear Phishing is a hyper-targeted phishing attempt directed at a specific individual or company. Unlike bulk phishing attacks, spear phishing attackers gather and use personal information about their targets to improve the odds that the victim will fall for the scam. When a user over-shares information on Social Media, it makes it that much easier for cyber-criminals to target them. 

Most people think that oversharing means sharing a phone number or address, but it’s much broader than that. 

Here are three things that you can do to avoid being a victim of a Spear Phishing Attack: 

1. Remember that nothing posted in public forum is ever truly private. 
   We recommend that taking a few moments to review all Social Media accounts and update sharing and privacy settings. This will at add some layer of protection.

2. Think about what is being posted and who can take advantage of these posts. 

   Be sure to think twice before posting. Perhaps pare down some of the information, or maybe privately share information off social media.

3. Know what Red Flags to look out for when these attacks occur. 

   Spear Phishing Attacks can be hard to spot, but there can be clues. For instance, they can contain obvious typos, or grammar that just doesn’t sound right. Hovering over an URLs to see if they go back to the expected site is another recommendation. 

It’s important to remember that many hackers aren’t targeting a device. They’re targeting THE USER as the vulnerability.  

So, remember to stay diligent, maintain a level of skepticism, update social media security settings, and most importantly, THINK BEFORE POSTING! 

These are the strongest defenses from becoming the next victim of a Spear Phishing Attack. 

Ben Schmerler | Director of Strategic Operations DP Solutions 9160 Red Branch Road, Suite W-1  |  Columbia, MD 21045 410.720.3300 x106 (Baltimore)  |  301.858.5609 x106 (Washington) 410.992.3559 (Fax)  |  www.dpsolutions.com