Phishing is still one of the most common cyberthreats in 2025, especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in tech hubs such as Las Vegas, Henderson, and the wider Clark County area. Attackers are getting better at convincing employees to click malicious links or give up sensitive information. That’s why you must train your employees to recognize and avoid phishing scams.
In this article, we’ll break down what phishing is and how to spot it, and cover ways you can get your team ready to face advanced phishing techniques.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a cybercrime tactic wherein attackers pose as trusted entities to obtain sensitive data from their targets. These attackers often pretend to be banks, co-workers, vendors, or even government agencies, and they would send bogus emails, text messages, or social media messages that look genuine at first glance.
Common signs of phishing emails
Identifying red flags is the first step in preventing phishing attempts. Whenever they receive an email, your staff should always look out for the following common signs of a phishing message:
Suspicious sender address
Phishing emails frequently employ addresses that closely resemble authentic ones, yet contain minor discrepancies. For example, using domains such as “@yourbank-support.com” instead of “@yourbank.com” should clue you in. Everyone in your company should make it a point to double-check the sender’s email address, especially if they receive an unexpected message.
Generic or unfamiliar greetings
Phishing messages often start with vague greetings such as “Dear user” or “Hello customer” because they are sent in bulk. Additionally, if you receive a message from someone who usually addresses you by name but suddenly doesn’t, it’s a red flag.
Urgent or threatening language
Attackers like to create urgency or a sense of panic. This forces recipients to act without thinking, not pausing to wonder if they’re being tricked or not. Train your staff to stop and assess the situation before reacting to urgent requests.
Unusual attachments or links
Phishing emails often contain odd attachments (especially .zip, .exe, or macro-enabled files) or hyperlinks that don’t match the displayed text. Train your employees to not immediately click those; instead, they should hover over links first to check where they lead. If the hover-thumbnail does not look familiar or appears suspicious, they should not click on the link.
Requests for personal or financial information
Remind your team that legitimate businesses never ask for sensitive data via email. If employees receive any message requesting their passwords or banking information, they should be suspicious.
How to prepare your team and business for phishing threats
Here’s how you can empower your employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools to protect your business from phishing attacks:
Provide regular training sessions
To help your team recognize the above common signs as well as future phishing tactics, hold cybersecurity workshops every quarter or month. Encourage your employees to share real-life experiences by talking about suspicious emails they have encountered.
Encourage reporting of suspicious messages
Create a safe environment where employees are unafraid to report potential phishing attempts, even if they have fallen for one. The quicker they report a phishing attack, the faster your IT team can respond to stop the damage from spreading.
Simulate phishing campaigns
Another way to train your employees is by letting them experience a phishing attack firsthand. You can use simulation tools such as Guardey or Sophos’ Phish Threat function to send fake emails to employees, and then evaluate their responses. This practical exercise identifies training gaps and gets employees into the habit of analyzing emails before acting.
Enable multifactor authentication (MFA)
Should a phishing attempt succeed, having MFA provides an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification. Implementing MFA across all of your systems will help limit potential damage from credentials obtained through phishing.
Partner with experts
Working with a trusted managed IT services provider (MSP) like Kortek Solutions can significantly strengthen your defenses against phishing. They offer the specialized knowledge and tools your business and team need to stay prepared. Furthermore, they stay on top of emerging phishing tactics and solutions, freeing you to focus on running your business.
Phishing scams aren’t going away, but with the right training and awareness, your employees can become your strongest defense against them. Contact our experts at Kortek Solutions today. We’re ready to help safeguard your data and protect your business’s reputation.