Phishing

Where cyber criminals impersonate trusted sources to steal sensitive information.

Spear Phishing

A malicious email sent to a specific individual or organisation. The email is more specific, designed to look like it is from a person the recipient knows and trusts. The attacker may use information about the organisation or employees to make the email appear legitimate.

Whaling

Impersonation of a legitimate email, often aimed at senior executives. Whaling attacks are more specific and often contain personalised information about the targeted organisation or individual.

What should you do?

  • Stay alert to the style, tone and grammar of emails, especially if the emails are generic, do not address you by name and have grammatical errors
  • Never open links you are unsure of
  • Never enter personal or security information through a link you received in an email
  • Do not assume an email is genuine because it appears to be from someone you know – emails can be ‘spoofed’. Hover over emails and links, as it will show the actual email address/link.
  • Be cautious with what you share online – attackers can use this information to make cyber-attacks look legitimate
  • Verify requests independently – call or speak to the individual, do not confirm by responding to the email

Cyber fraud amounted to £1.63 billion in losses for individuals and business in 2025.

Cyber security awareness is important as it helps protect individuals and organisations from threats, reducing the risk of sensitive information being compromised and helps keep organisations secure.

Where to get help:

Always contact IT if you are unsure – pause, independently verify and promptly report.

STOP – CHECK – REPORT