Suspicious E-Mail

The ability to detect suspicious and malicious e-mails is key to combating cyber threats: e-mail is one of the most favourite means of communication of cybercriminals.

Spam

Unsolicited or irrelevant e-mail messages sent over the Internet for advertising, phishing, spreading malware, etc.

306.4 billion e-mails were sent and received daily in 2020.

Phishing

Phishing is a form of cybercrime where cybercriminals obtain personal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details from their victims.

Phishing attacks account for more than 80% of reported security incidents.

Malware

Malware is the abbreviation for ‘Malicious Software’: any software that is intended to cause harm to your system or network. 94% of malware is delivered via e-mail.

How to detect a malicious e-mail - the signs to watch out for

Messages with misspellings and typos, multiple fonts or oddly-placed accents.
Messages that claim to have your password attached. You should never receive your password in an attachment.
Mismatched links. Hover over a link and make sure the link goes to the place shown in the e-mail.
Messages asking for your personal information.
Messages claiming that your account will be deleted or blocked unless you take immediate action.

How to react - the reflexes to adopt

Do not respond to suspicious e-mails.
Do not click on links in suspicious e-mails. Check the target address of the link to verify its legitimacy.
Do not click on or download images and attachments.
Do not trust offers that seem to be too good to be true.
Do not blindly trust the sender information in the e-mail to avoid being a victim of e-mail spoofing.
Use tools like SPAMBEE to handle suspicious e-mails and notify experts in case of doubt.

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