We All Fall for It

One of the key lessons in our computer training involves helping our team spot phishing attempts. Most people think they are too smart or computer-savvy to fall victim to an online informational predator. But even the best of us can unwittingly take the bait.

I admit I fell prey recently to one of Dasher’s phishing attempts- yes, we phish ourselves to help educate the team. The phishing email was from my “bank”. I readily confessed my mistake to the team. Because when we hide an error, it grows.

Acknowledging my gullibility and my subsequent error speaks to one of our core values which is “able to learn.” Hiding mistakes is one of the primary dangers of data security. Most people are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they fell for a phishing attempt or a phone scam.

But as the old saying goes, the cover-up can be worse than the crime. The tiniest moment of weakness can mushroom into a major hurdle if it is not admitted and addressed.

Even one of my teammates nearly fell for a scam where someone posing as me texted her, directing her to use her personal credit card to pick up $2,000 worth of Target gift cards as a favor to me. It was a plausible text because I would frequently ask her to help me with things. Luckily, my trusty teammate, who trust me but did not “trust” the request texted me and then called me before making the purchase.

The truth is, we are human. We all get caught at weak moments and do things we wish we hadn’t. Knowing the mistake allows us to correct it and prevent it from happening again. I often recommend to our Dasher team that they be suspicious of my emails and texts as criminals love to use hierarchy to make their scams work.

When no one succumbs to a phishing attempt within our Dasher team, it is cause for celebration.  We have been celebrating a lot lately. Our training is working.

Admitting vulnerabilities and supporting each other regardless of our mistakes is the essence of the Dasher culture.

Mistakes happen. It is how we cope with the error that counts. Perhaps the greatest mistake is being afraid ever to make one.

Dasher is a data-driven, customer contact services operation with a focus on communicating complex messages to diverse populations. Specific capabilities include face-to-face communications provided by our field teams, customer engagement strategies provided by our call center and member engagement staff, and secure, complex, variable mailing services provided by our production team. Dasher is an experienced Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) with a bestselling book, “The Talent Pool,” and is certified by AICPA with the SOC2^SM Type2 data certification and validation.