The 5 golden rules for protecting against spam and phishing
Tips for dealing with spam and phishing
Tips for dealing with spam and phishing
Spam emails and phishing attempts are a constant threat in today’s digital world. Cybercriminals have a range of motives—from stealing sensitive data to spreading malware. And their methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. These five golden rules will help you recognize phishing emails and handle them safely:
Not all spam emails are obvious at first glance. Watch out for these common red flags:
Legitimate companies take care to use correct language. Poor grammar or awkward, machine-translated text is a clear warning sign.
Request to disclose personal data:
Reputable organizations will never ask for passwords, banking details, or other sensitive data via email.
Threats of account suspension or unexpected charges are common tactics used to pressure recipients into taking action.
Fals rewards or suspicious prize notifications:
Emails promising large cash prizes or surprise inheritances are almost always scams. If you did enter a competition, verify the source carefully.
Publishing your email address online increases the risk of receiving spam. Be especially careful when sharing your business email address. Past data breaches have shown that even large companies can fail to adequately protect customer information. To check whether your credentials have been compromised, consider using a monitoring service — such as our Dark Web Credential Leak Monitoring — to see if your data appears on the dark web.
It’s also a good idea to use a separate email address for less secure registrations, in addition to your business and personal accounts. Alternatively, temporary email services like 10minutemail.com can be useful for one-time logins.
Replying to spam confirms to the sender that your email address is active — often resulting in even more unwanted messages. Chain emails should never be forwarded, as they frequently contain false information or contribute to the spread of malware.
Most email programs (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird) offer the option to block external content by default. This helps prevent spammers from tracking whether an email has been opened. It also reduces the risk of unintentionally loading malicious attachments or scripts.
Phishing emails can look deceptively legitimate. Before clicking on a link or opening an attachment, take a moment to:
A strong security strategy goes beyond just technical safeguards — it also includes well-informed, security-aware employees. Our IT security and Pentesting+ services help you identify vulnerabilities and address them effectively. Further reading:
Bernd Koberwein is Head of Security Services at BearingPoint and supports organizations with security solutions against cyber threats. With over 20 years of experience at BearingPoint, he is both an expert in offensive and defensive security services.