Scammers Are Crafty With Domain Names

Scammers Are Crafty With Domain Names

The domain name you choose for your website is important. As the primary gateway to your brand, that’s how people will communicate with and see everything related to who or what company “you” represent online – from social media pages all the way down through email campaigns; if there are any questions about whether this particular site represents something real (i.e., not fake), then chances surely exist that someone could get confused pretty easily.

The Bad Guys Are Clever with Domain Names

Domain names are important for branding and website security. Unfortunately, bad guys are crafty with domain names and can create fake websites that look legitimate. This can lead to unsuspecting users being scammed or hacked. The name of your company may be a common target for spear-phishing attempts by hackers. For example, if your domain name contains an “L”, they might register a domain with the same name except with an “I” instead of the “L”. This is a trick that’s used to try and deceive people into providing sensitive information.

You’ll find that https://www.google.com and https://www.googIe.com are not the same, but they can look identical when you see them on your e-mail or in a web browser. The first has a lowercase “L” and the second has an uppercase “I”. This makes it look like the site is legitimate when in reality it is not. So be careful and always check the address bar to make sure you are on the right site.

Take Control of Your Domain and Your Security

Purchase Domain Look-Alikes

One way to avoid being targeted by hackers who mimic the domain or email address is to control your domain and remove look-alikes which may be hosting the same information. Purchase them yourself or don’t let your domains expire. In order to figure out what domains you need to buy, get creative and experiment with different variations of letters and characters.

Employ A Layered Security Approach

One of the most effective ways to keep your data and business safe from hackers is to employ multiple layers of security. Using a varied, multi-approach defense will provide more coverage for you than relying on just one type of protection. Here are some ways to build a layered defense for your business:

1. External firewall and antivirus software
2. Encrypted offline backups in physical locations
3. Encrypted online backups
4. Hire an outside cybersecurity company to help protect your network
5. Improve security protocols by adopting new technology

Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Cybersecurity awareness training for employees is becoming a necessity and not just a precautionary measure. It’s important to train your employees on how to recognize possible phishing attacks and how to stay alert when browsing inside the company network. If you’re uncertain whether your company is already providing regular cybersecurity training, a good first step would be to speak with your IT team about their current policies and procedures. With this information in hand, you can start making the changes necessary for your company to stay ahead of the game. It’s important to teach employees about the various threats that are out there and how to stay vigilant about “red flags” that could indicate fraud.

Implement Effective Security Policies

Establishing and maintaining security policies is a great first step to achieving cybersecurity. Make sure your employees know the importance of securing company data as well as how to deal with it in an appropriate way. This goes for awareness training and the use of company-owned devices as well. Maintain awareness of threats and vulnerabilities.

Data breach awareness training should be the first step for all employees, not only IT. Educate your employees on the data they have access to and the security policies that are in place to protect it. This is also important for brand protection as well as compliance reasons, so make sure your employees know the importance of not sharing information they should.

Consider implementing a data breach policy to make sure your employees are following their security plan and taking the appropriate steps to protect their information. Take the appropriate steps needed to inform your employees about how they should deal with security issues that come up in regards to company data.

If you’re not confident that you have all the bases covered when it comes to cybersecurity, give us a call at 719.355.2440 to schedule a security assessment.