Keeping Your Construction Business Safe in the Era of Evolving Internet Crime
Phishing, vishing, smishing and pharming – it all sounds a bit like a foreign language. According to the FBI, they are the top digital crimes of our time. Construction businesses conduct so many financial transactions and activities online the deception can be much harder to detect. Keeping your construction business safe from falling prey to these crimes can prevent major headaches down the road.
Phishing: Scams that target email, often with spoofing techniques such as variations on legitimate email addresses. This fools victims into thinking fake accounts are real. Make sure your employees are trained on how to spot these impostors by always verifying the entire email address, and always keeping their alert up.
Vishing: Scams that happen over the phone, including via voicemail. Claiming to be a business, bad actors can provide fake information to intercept funds and access other sensitive information.
Smishing: Scams that target text messages (SMS), often by encouraging recipients to click on a link. This can download malicious code on your phone.
Pharming: These scams occur when malicious code is installed on your computer. This directs you to fake websites and your information can be stolen when inputted.
The best way to stay safe is to take an active role in protecting yourself and your business from internet crime. Staying up to date on the most recent trends in cyber-crime and training your team on how to avoid exposing sensitive information is a critical first step. The weakest link in any security system is always the human element.
Making sure your business has a solid plan in place in case of a security breach is paramount to minimizing damage and exposure. Come up with a plan, and train your team often, adjusting as you go.
If your company handles payments, it’s also a good idea to invest in software that helps you make those payments while protecting your private information. Sekady’s payment platform is SOC2 certified, and provides bank-grade security, ensuring that your sensitive data is protected every step of the way. SOC2 certification requires vigorous, ongoing security and ensures those standards are upheld.
Running a construction business has enough stressors without needing to worry about digital crimes. Stay safe and protect your company’s sensitive information by getting started with Sekady’s secure payments platform.
See The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) site for more tips on protecting yourself from internet crimes.
