Phishing, wellness, and a life lesson

I deleted a phishing email in my personal account and now I feel guilty.

Really guilty.

That isn’t a typical response to deleting an email--even for someone like me who is a data-hoarder. Part of my work is writing about cybersecurity issues--and the one of the largest threats most companies face comes in the form of phishing. Yes, there are programs in place that can prevent thousands of these emails from ever seeing an inbox. But it isn’t perfect and phishing emails hit inboxes everyday. What cybersecurity professionals cannot control is human error.?

Everyday, all over the world, in work and in personal settings, very well intentioned people open and interact with phishing emails. It makes more phishing emails and technology gets smarter after the damage may have been done.

People reporting phishing emails in business and personal accounts helps proactively improve the algorithms.?

This is where the guilt comes in. I know better. But this is why human error is so fickle. We get tired, or in a rush, and we just click.?

My tips for those who don’t want to end up on the bad side of their cyber teams at work, or being extorted for cryptocurrency (when they don’t even know what the hell that is):

• Reduce your email time. Instead of being reactive to email as it comes in, schedule windows where you can focus and aren’t hurried.
• Turn off from your tech entirely everyday for a set amount of time.
• Drink a lot of water. Really. This is just good advice, hydration helps the brain.
• Get regular exercise. This isn’t only heart healthy, it’s known to reduce stress levels and help you sharpen your focus and improve productivity.
• Eat your fruits and vegetables. Mom was right. Good nutrition is good for everything.

These are, of course, in addition to the usual tips on how to spot a phishing email in the wild. But without a fresh mind, and without taking care of yourself first, how can you expect to save the world one email at a time?