“Hey, come check out these cute kittens! They’re so adorable!,” the email says. You click on the email. But it’s not kittens, it’s a dramatized cyber attack!
Many companies are using phony attacks to wise up their employees to hacker schemes. They turn to cyber trainers like PhishMe, the creator of the cute kitty Dr. Zaius email, to teach employees what to avoid. Employers and cyber trainers agree it’s not the big hacker armies that destroys systems. But it’s the cute little emails and subtle seductions and temptations that wipe out systems and start trouble. That’s what Phish Me educates individuals and businesses about.
They’re not the only one. Will Pelgrin is now VP for Center for Internet Security, a non-profit organization that teaches cyber safety. He used to work for the state of New York. While holding that security officer position, he sent 10,000 emails to individuals and businesses all over the state telling them to give up their emails and other personal information. The first time, 15% did as the phony email told them. The second time, only 8%. Some cyber trainers drop drives in public facilities and put ‘confidential’ and a company logo on them. Often, curiosity takes over, the mark puts the drive in the computer, and, well, they’re lucky this is just a test.
Personally,?I wish there were more companies like Phish Me. Let’s face it, hackers, ID thieves and cyber crooks are getting smarter. We should get smarter?too. I’d much rather be fooled by a cyber trainer than?to realize some crook overseas has wiped me out?of everything or exposed me of everything because I hit some tempting email. So I take my hat off to the Will Pelrgrins of America and others in the fight for online security. Do you or your office use Phish Me or?other cyber trainers? How has that experience impacted?your surroundings?