Hampshire: Employees need training to counter phishing scams, warns Taylor Made

The recent cyber attack on Butlins is a stark reminder that staff are the first line of defence against Internet criminals, according to a Hampshire IT firm.

Holiday camp company Butlins confirmed that up to 34,000 guests may have had their personal information stolen by hackers. The data breach was reportedly the result of a phishing email.

Taylor Made Computer Solutions, based in Fareham, says the nature of the breach highlights the important role staff have to play in thwarting cyber attacks. It’s urging local businesses to make sure they train their employees on how to spot phishing scams.

Nigel Taylor, managing director and founder, said: “Companies are ultimately in the hands of their staff to halt these attacks at the front line. Investment in protective software and back-up systems is of course vital but training really is the key to protection from attacks.

“Butlins’ case is a stark reminder that we should all be holding regular training with our staff to teach them how to spot tell-tale signs of a phishing scam.”

Taylor Made has the following tips to help businesses protect themselves from phishing scams:

• Hold regular training with all staff to teach them how to spot suspicious emails
• If you have the slightest doubt about the authenticity of an email don’t click the link
• ALWAYS hover over links to see where they lead to - if it’s a strange or unrelated website it’s likely to be a virus
• Be wary of clicking links in emails from mobile phones and tablets – these devices don’t give you the option to hover over and see where the link leads
• Poor grammar is often a tell-tale sign of a scam email
• Forget the myth that Apple devices are immune from viruses

The company has more resources on cyber security on its website at www.tmcs.co.uk