Protect Your Business from Smishing Attacks with These Vital Strategies, Tips and Traps

Smishing scams have grown exponentially over the past few years. In fact, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) has reported that smishing attacks accounted for 27% of all phishing attacks in 2021, up from just 7% in 2017.

Year	Percentage of phishing attacks
2017	7 %
2021	27%

Smishing attacks are a serious threat to businesses of all sizes. They can result in lost revenue, data breaches, and reputational damage. That's why it's important to take steps to protect your business from these attacks.

Here are some effective strategies, tips, and tricks for preventing smishing scams

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some common mistakes that businesses make when trying to prevent smished attacks:

Ignoring smishing scams - Smishing scams are often not taken seriously, but they can be just as damaging as phishing emails.

Not having a plan in place - If you don't have a plan in place for dealing with smished attacks, you'll be more likely to fall victim to one.

Not training employees - Employees are the most likely targets of smished scams, so it's important to train them on how to spot and avoid these attacks.

Analyze what users care about

To protect your business from smished attacks, it's important to understand what users care about. Here are some of the things that users are most concerned about when it comes to smished:

Losing money - Users are worried about losing money if they fall victim to a smished scam.

Having their data stolen - Users are concerned about their personal and financial data being stolen if they fall victim to a smished scam.

Damaged their reputation - Users are worried about their reputation being damaged if they fall victim to a smished scam.

Advanced Features

Here are some advanced features that you can use to protect your business from smished attacks:

Spam filters - Spam filters can help to block smished messages from reaching your employees.

Anti-malware software - Anti-malware software can help to protect your employees from malware that can be delivered through smished messages.

Employee training - Employee training is the most important step that you can take to protect your business from smished attacks.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of using different methods to protect your business from smished attacks:

Method	Pros	Cons
Spam filters	Low cost	Can be bypassed
Anti-malware software	Effective against malware	Can be expensive
Employee training	Most effective	Can be time-consuming

Making the Right Choice

The best way to protect your business from smished attacks is to use a combination of different methods. By following the strategies, tips, and tricks outlined in this article, you can help to keep your business safe from these attacks.

FAQs About smished

What is smished?

Smished is a type of phishing scam that is delivered via SMS text message. Smished messages often contain a link to a malicious website that can steal your personal and financial information.

How can I protect myself from smished?

There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from smished:

Never click on links in text messages from unknown senders.

Be wary of text messages that claim to be from your bank, credit card company, or other trusted organization.

If you're not sure whether a text message is legitimate, contact the organization directly.

What should I do if I fall victim to a smished?

If you fall victim to a smished scam, you should take the following steps:

Contact your bank or credit card company immediately to report the fraud.

Freeze your credit to prevent identity theft.

Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338).

Success Stories

Here are three success stories of businesses that have successfully protected themselves from smished attacks:

Company A - A large financial institution was able to reduce its smished attacks by 90% by implementing a combination of spam filters, anti-malware software, and employee training.

Company B - A small business was able to prevent a smished attack from compromising its customer data by following the tips outlined in this article.

Company C - A government agency was able to raise awareness of smished among its employees and the public by launching a public awareness campaign.

Protect Your Business from Smishing Attacks with These Vital Strategies, Tips and Traps