Increased Cyber Attacks in Senior Living

We have seen several cyber attacks recently including phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and data breaches. While we remain vigilant in safeguarding our clients' data and systems, it's essential everyone stays informed and empowered to take proactive measures to protect yourself against potential threats.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyber attack where attackers use deceptive emails, messages, or websites to trick individuals by trying to obtain sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive personal information. Phishing scams are extremely common and can have significant impacts on individuals and organizations. A phishing scam has the potential to lead to financial losses, data breaches, and reputational damage. In some cases, the stellar reputation an organization had prior to the phishing scams can never be regained again.

Tips on Spotting a Phishing Email

• Unsolicited Attachments: Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know. Legit businesses will never send you unsolicited attachments.
• Incorrect Sender Address: You should always hover over the email address to see where it comes from. For example, if you receive an email from Amazon but the email address is very strange, long or from a Gmail account, then it’s a scam.
• Suspicious Links: Phishing attackers need to make sure you click a link to access your personal data. If you have any doubt in the link, DO NOT CLICK IT.
• Spelling Mistakes & Grammar Errors: A lot of phishing emails will have spelling mistakes. This is because most scammers don’t really pay much attention to grammar or barely know English.
• Lack of Personalization: A serious business will always know your name and send you a personalized email.
• Requesting Sensitive Information: Professional businesses will never ask for sensitive information via email.

What Can You Do?

Educate: Ensure that your employees are trained in recognizing and responding to phishing attempts, suspicious emails, and other common cyber threats.

Implement MFA: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever possible to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.

Contact your IT Department: Remember, swift action is crucial in mitigating the impact of a potential security breach.

For more information, you can read our blog, How to Protect Your Senior Living Community from Phishing Scams.