Phishing is the most common way attackers break into accounts. A fake e-mail looks like it comes from your bank, your hosting provider or a colleague. One click on the wrong link can hand over your password. The good news is that most attempts share the same signs.
Warning signs of phishing
- The message creates urgency, such as a suspended account or an unpaid invoice.
- The sender address does not match the company domain.
- Links point to a different domain when you hover over them.
- The greeting is generic, such as "Dear customer".
- Attachments arrive unexpectedly, often as ZIP or HTML files.
- The page asks for your password, card number or a login code.
Check before you click
Hover over every link and read the real address. Check the domain carefully, because attackers use small changes like extra letters or hyphens. When in doubt, do not click. Open your browser and type the address of the service yourself.
Legitimate companies rarely ask for passwords by e-mail. HostiGuard will never ask for your password or full card number in a message.
Protect your own domain
Attackers also send phishing that pretends to come from your company. SPF, DKIM and DMARC records make that much harder. They tell receiving servers to reject mail that did not come from you. Our business email includes SPF and DKIM by default.
If you already clicked
- Change the password of the affected account right away.
- Turn on two-factor authentication if it is not active.
- Sign out of all other sessions from the account settings.
- Check for new forwarding rules or unknown logins.
- Tell your team, so nobody else falls for the same message.
Train your team
Most phishing succeeds because one person is busy or tired. Short, regular reminders work better than long trainings. Share real examples you receive, and praise people who report suspicious mail. If you receive phishing that uses our name, forward it to our support team through the contact page.
