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Most phishing emails look harmless at first glance. A message from a delivery company, a password reset request, or a note from your bank asking you to “verify your details”. But behind the familiar logos and polite wording, these emails are designed to trick you into clicking something you shouldn’t or handing over sensitive information.
And the consequences for businesses? They can be serious – from compromised accounts and stolen data to financial loss and reputational damage. Unfortunately, phishing attacks are getting harder to spot, and no business is too small to be a target.
In this blog, we’ll break down what phishing actually is, what to look out for, and how you can help protect your business before one wrong click causes a major problem.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a type of cyber attack where criminals pose as legitimate organisations or individuals in order to trick people into giving away information. That could include login credentials, payment details or sensitive data. These attacks usually come via email, but they also happen through text messages, phone calls or messaging apps.
The aim is simple: to get you to click on a malicious link, download an infected attachment, or hand over information that the attacker can use to gain access to systems or steal money.
Why phishing works
Phishing works because it plays on trust, urgency and distraction. Cybercriminals often:
- Pretend to be someone you know or a brand you trust
- Use urgent language like “your account will be suspended”
- Include fake invoices, delivery updates or payment requests
Send emails at busy times, knowing you might not look too closely
Even if just one person in your business clicks on a bad link, it can open the door to a full-scale breach.
5 ways to spot a phishing email
So, how can you tell if an email is suspicious? Here are five key things to look for:
1. Check the sender’s email address
Phishing emails often come from addresses that look almost right but are slightly off. For example:
- [email protected] instead of [email protected]
- [email protected] instead of [email protected]
Always double-check the actual sender address, not just the display name.
2. Look for spelling mistakes or odd wording
Many phishing emails contain unusual language, poor grammar or strange formatting. That’s often because they’re written by attackers outside the UK or generated quickly using automated tools.
Professional organisations don’t usually send messages full of typos. If it reads strangely, treat it with caution.
3. Be wary of urgent or threatening messages
Emails that pressure you into acting fast – like “Your account has been suspended”, “Final notice”, or “Click now to avoid losing access” – are classic phishing tactics. They’re designed to make you panic and click before thinking.
If something feels overly urgent or aggressive, slow down and verify the request another way (e.g. by calling the organisation directly using a known number).
4. Don’t trust links at face value
Phishing emails often include links that look legit, but when you hover your mouse over them (without clicking), they lead somewhere completely different.
Always check where a link actually goes. If it looks like a long string of random characters or has a misspelled domain, don’t click.
Even better: don’t click on links in unexpected emails. Visit the website directly through your browser instead.
5. Watch for unexpected attachments
Be extremely cautious of unexpected attachments, especially if the email says something vague like “see the invoice” or “details in attached file”.
These attachments can carry malware designed to infect your system as soon as you open them.
If you’re not expecting a file, don’t open it – even if it appears to come from someone you know. Confirm it’s real before you act.
What to do if you think you’ve received a phishing email
- Don’t click anything.
- Don’t reply to the sender.
- Report it to your IT team or provider (if you have one).
- Use the “Report phishing” option in your email platform, if available.
- Delete the message once it’s been reviewed.
If you think you or a colleague might have clicked something by mistake, act quickly. The faster it’s reported, the better chance you have of stopping further damage.
Strengthening your defences
While staff awareness is crucial, it’s just one part of the picture. Here are a few additional ways to strengthen your defence against phishing:
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on key systems
- Use email filtering tools to catch suspicious messages
- Keep software and security tools up to date
- Run regular security awareness training
- Have a clear incident response plan
Phishing attacks are becoming more convincing and more frequent – but the good news is, with the right approach, they’re also avoidable.
Don’t let one email bring everything down
Phishing emails are getting harder to spot, but the risks they pose are very real. Educating your team, keeping your systems secure and knowing what to look for can make a huge difference.
At Provident IT, we help businesses across Leicestershire, the East Midlands and beyond stay protected with practical, proactive support. From setting up security tools to delivering staff training and ongoing monitoring, we make cybersecurity simple and effective – without the jargon.
If you’re unsure whether your current setup is up to the job, or you just want peace of mind that your staff are protected, get in touch. We’re here to help.
