PHISH & TELL 001

The Cybersecurity Brief for Women Who Mean Business

Author

Alexia Idoura
April 06, 2025

👋 WELCOME to Phish & Tell™️

Each week, I’ll send you a no-fluff email that helps you:

  • 💻 Protect your business from digital scams & hacks

  • 👩🏾‍💻 Learn cyber safety without needing to “speak tech”

  • 🔐 Feel confident knowing you’re locked down tight

You’re not just building a business.
You’re building something worth protecting.
Let’s make sure no one gets to mess with it.

🎣 PHISH ALERT: TOP 5 CYBERSECURITY THREATS OF THE WEEK

Small businesses in the U.S. are contending with several pressing cybersecurity challenges. Here are the top five:​

  1. Ransomware Attacks Escalating

    Ransomware continues to be a significant threat. The Medusa ransomware group, active since 2021, has recently intensified attacks, targeting sectors including medical, education, legal, insurance, technology, and manufacturing. Medusa employs phishing campaigns to steal credentials and operates on a double extortion model—encrypting data and threatening to release it publicly if ransoms aren't paid. To mitigate this risk, businesses should update systems regularly, implement multifactor authentication, and educate employees on phishing tactics.

  2. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

    Supply chain attacks are increasingly targeting small businesses as entry points to larger networks. These attacks exploit weak links in a business's ecosystem, making them difficult to detect. Regular audits of vendor practices, strict access controls, and collaboration with vendors to improve cybersecurity are essential steps to mitigate these risks.

  3. AI-Powered Phishing and Social Engineering

    Cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence to craft sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. These AI-driven campaigns can personalize messages, increasing the likelihood of successful breaches. Continuous employee training and advanced email filtering tools are critical defenses against these evolving threats.

  4. Increased Regulatory Compliance Requirements

    Small businesses are facing new cybersecurity obligations, including potential penalties for failing to report ransomware payments. Staying informed about these regulatory changes and implementing compliance measures is crucial to avoid legal repercussions and maintain operational integrity.

  5. Limited Resources for Cybersecurity Defense

    Many small businesses lack the advanced cybersecurity defenses of larger organizations, making them more vulnerable to attacks. Investing in robust cybersecurity measures, even with limited resources, is essential to protect against potential breaches and ensure business continuity.

Recommendations for you:

  • Regular Data Backups: Implement the 3-2-1 backup rule—three copies of data, on two different media, with one off-site—to ensure data resilience. ​

  • Employee Training: Conduct ongoing cybersecurity awareness training to help staff recognize and respond to threats like phishing and social engineering.​

  • Vendor Assessments: Regularly evaluate the security practices of third-party vendors to identify and mitigate potential supply chain vulnerabilities.​

  • Stay Informed: Keep abreast of evolving cyber threats and regulatory changes to adapt security strategies accordingly.​

  • Invest in Cybersecurity Insurance: Consider policies that cover business interruptions, third-party failures, and AI-related liabilities to provide a safety net in case of an attack. ​

🔍 In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

🔐 LOCK IT DOWN

How to Spot a Phishing Email (in 60 Seconds or Less)

Here’s your 3-step “Sniff Test”:

  1. Check the sender email – legit or sketchy?

  2. Hover before you click – does the link match the text?

  3. Check tone – urgency + scare tactics = 🚩🚩🚩

📌 Your action this week: Make sure you and your team are using multifactor authentication. That way, if someone does accidentally click on a bad link and enter their username and password on a fake page, you still have one more layer of protection.
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🤖 The LOL-gorithm

🧷 THE SAFETY SNAP

👛 A Personal Safety Bonus (because YOU matter, too): Don’t use your biz email for personal logins (like Sephora or Amazon). It makes you a bigger target and clutters your inbox. 💅

✨ WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS?

👉 Grab the free Social Media Lockdown Guide.

Say goodbye to the fear of waking up to a compromised account. Learn how to protect your accounts from hijackers and scammers in five steps.

💬 IN YOUR CORNER

Worries? Questions? I’m in your corner. Let me know!

👋 DM me @securitydoneeasy with your Qs
🔐 Get on the waitlist: A 90-minute live experience for women leaders who want to be ready — not reactive — in a cybersecurity incident. Coming soon.
💌 Forward this to a biz bestie who needs to stay scam-proof, too!

👂 TELL ME

You’re subscribed to Phish & Tell™️ because your business is worth protecting.
Feel safe, stay savvy, and don’t click shady sh*t. ;-)

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