Phishing Attacks: How to Protect Your Clients

Phishing remains the number one cause of data breaches. Understanding how these attacks work is essential for protecting yourself and your clients.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a social engineering attack where criminals impersonate trusted entities to steal credentials, install malware, or trick victims into taking harmful actions.

Types of Phishing Attacks

Email Phishing

The classic approach: mass emails impersonating banks, services, or companies. Usually contains:

• Urgent language (“Your account will be suspended!”)
• Suspicious links to fake login pages
• Requests for credentials or personal information
• Spelling or grammar errors

Spear Phishing

Targeted attacks using personal information about the victim:

• References specific projects or colleagues
• Uses correct company terminology
• May come from a spoofed trusted email
• Much harder to detect

Whaling

Spear phishing targeting executives or high-value individuals:

• Extensive research on the target
• References real business situations
• Often requests wire transfers or sensitive data
• Extremely convincing

Smishing and Vishing

SMS (smishing) and voice (vishing) phishing:

• Text messages with malicious links
• Phone calls impersonating tech support
• Voicemails with urgent callbacks
• Increasingly common and effective

Red Flags to Watch For

In Emails

• Sender address doesn’t match the company domain
• Generic greetings (“Dear Customer” vs. your name)
• Urgent or threatening language
• Requests for passwords or personal information
• Suspicious attachments or links
• Poor spelling and grammar
• Mismatched URLs (hover over links to check)

On Websites

• URL doesn’t match the expected domain
• Missing or incorrect SSL certificate
• Requests for information the real site wouldn’t need
• Poor design quality
• No working navigation to other site pages

Protecting Your Business

Technical Defenses

Training and Awareness

Regular training reduces successful phishing attacks by up to 75%:

1. Conduct simulated phishing tests
2. Share examples of current attacks
3. Create easy reporting mechanisms
4. Reward vigilance, don’t punish mistakes
5. Provide regular refresher training

Verification Procedures

Establish protocols for sensitive requests:

• Always verify wire transfer requests by phone
• Use a separate channel to confirm credential requests
• Have a codeword for urgent legitimate requests
• Never click links in emails—navigate directly to sites

Protecting Your Clients

Your clients are also targets, especially through attacks that impersonate you:

Warn Clients About Impersonation

• Tell clients you’ll never email them asking for passwords
• Establish secure channels for credential sharing
• Provide a way to verify communications are really from you

Use Secure Portals

Instead of email for sensitive communications:

• Share credentials through encrypted portals
• Use secure file sharing for documents
• Implement client verification procedures

Document Your Communication Practices

Responding to Phishing

If You Clicked a Link

1. Disconnect from the network immediately
2. Don’t enter any credentials on the site
3. Run a malware scan
4. Report to your IT team
5. Monitor accounts for suspicious activity

If You Entered Credentials

1. Change the password immediately (from a different device)
2. Enable 2FA if not already active
3. Check for unauthorized access or changes
4. Notify affected parties
5. Monitor for identity theft

If a Client Was Targeted

1. Alert them immediately about the impersonation
2. Provide guidance on what to do
3. Document the incident
4. Consider whether their data may be compromised
5. Report the phishing site

Building a Phishing-Resistant Culture

The goal isn’t to prevent employees from ever clicking a phishing link—it’s to create an environment where they report it immediately without fear of punishment.

Key Cultural Elements

1. No-blame reporting - Make it safe to admit mistakes
2. Celebrate catches - Recognize employees who spot phishing
3. Share examples - Keep phishing top of mind
4. Lead by example - Executives must follow procedures too
5. Continuous improvement - Learn from every incident

Conclusion

Phishing will continue to evolve, but the fundamentals of defense remain constant: verify before trusting, use technical controls as a safety net, and create a culture of security awareness.

For client communications, the best defense is establishing secure channels that phishing can’t easily replicate. When clients know exactly how you communicate sensitive information, impersonation attempts become obvious.