False Relationships

A close relative of the phishing scam (see yesterday’s post) is a pharming site. Like the phishing emails, these sites can damage your brand without you even realizing… prevention is really the best measure for both threats. By taking precaution, developing a response plan and making sure your recipients know how to differentiate between what’s real and what’s false you can help safeguard your brand – you’ll also have more eyes monitoring for you!

Today’s post will give you a leg up on development of your Phishing/ Pharming plan; many items can be gleaned from the IRS website cited in yesterday’s post and additional items can be taken from the ComputerWorld article by Robert Mitchell detailing brand protection against cybersquatters. Here are some points to consider:

1) Create a Plan – Write out a (internal) policy for addressing fraudulent emails and/ or websites – this could be an amendment to your online privacy policy and should be referenced in that document. Internally identify a title/ group responsible for addressing the reported issue; this person/ department should also know protocol for verification (i.e. web searches etc.) and the chain of command to report such issues.

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2) Make it Easy – Be sure your email recipients and site visitors know how to report suspicious emails and/ or websites. This will give you additional eyes and ears.

3) Save everything – Keep domain registrations, reports, trademark verifications, etc. Know where they are located and how to access in the event that you have to verify a claim against your brand.

Remember, prevention goes a long way in the online world. Take a few moments to prepare, search and know what you’re up against.

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