The Fear of Cyber Fraud in Large Companies
When a large company experiences a cyber attack, the first thing that happens is the director, terrified, calls you to ask what’s happening. In these situations, the fear of loss is so great that the uncertainty of what could happen in the next few minutes is overwhelming. That’s how I got called once: a client had just lost 10,000 euros and had no idea what might happen next.
The Attack That Went Unnoticed
Here’s what happened: the person in charge of the transfers was logged into their bank account when, suddenly, the screen went black. They thought the computer had broken down, shut it off, and restarted it. When they tried to make the transfer again, they realized that 10,000 euros had already been stolen. What happened here?
The Invisible Malware
When I analyzed the computer, I discovered that, a month earlier, the person had received a phishing email. By clicking the link, without proper protection, they unknowingly installed malware on their computer. This malware had been silently monitoring everything they did and waited for the right moment to perform the transfer automatically, bypassing the need for the person to enter any details.
How to Avoid Falling for Such Frauds
Email fraud is becoming increasingly common. Fake emails arrive constantly, and it’s hard to tell the legitimate ones from the fraudulent ones. Recently, I even received an email warning me that my email account would expire soon. Although it looked legitimate, I chose not to click on any links, since many of these emails are misleading. Awareness and cybersecurity training are key to avoiding these types of frauds.
The Importance of Training and the Right Solution
One solution I recommend to my clients is always to manually validate suspicious emails. Instead of clicking on links, they should go directly to the official website and verify the authenticity of the message. If this client had followed this procedure, they could have avoided the fraud.
Moreover, if they had a security system like ours, the computer would have been protected from this malware. Our system blocks malicious software installation, and if something suspicious is attempted, it alerts us immediately. In this case, we would have detected the attack, blocked the malware, and alerted the client before it caused any damage.
Conclusion: Prevention Is Always Better Than Regret
Cyber fraud can lead to massive losses, but with proper training and effective security solutions, the risks can be minimized. Don’t underestimate the power of cybersecurity education, and ensure your team is well-prepared to prevent these attacks.
