How to train employees to know how to identify malicious links?

People receive emails, messages and notifications on a daily basis, after all we live in a digital scenario where everything is done online. However, in these legitimate demands, malicious links are often hidden, disguised.

This is because criminals take advantage of this amount of data and information to apply their scams. That is why it is important for organizations to create data security awareness among people.

After all, a successful data breach can cause your organization to lose important data and generate numerous losses.

Given this, the question arises of how to ensure that your team is ready to recognize these threats, the answer is that with the right strategies it is possible to mitigate risks.

Why are malicious links a real threat?

Thanks to the development of defense technologies in computers, criminals have found it easier to target human error. After all, through links they can create social engineering scams and deceive their victims.

Therefore, malicious links are among the most used tactics by cybercriminals to deceive people and access sensitive information.

It is no wonder that in Brazil, on average, eight malicious links are accessed per second, totaling almost 700 thousand daily accesses.

The big risk is that they can appear harmless, often imitating legitimate websites or being embedded in messages with an urgent tone, such as false charges or system updates.

But a single click can direct the victim to phishing pages, start downloading malware or even give remote access to their device, and what's worse, all this without raising suspicion.

The threat becomes even more critical in the corporate environment, where people deal with an excess of information on a daily basis and, in the rush, may not notice small differences in URLs or warning signs in messages.

It is important to note that when a malicious link is accessed within the organization's infrastructure, the consequences can be serious, such as:

• Leakage of confidential data;

• Hijacking of systems by ransomware;

• Compromised accounts with privileged access.

What makes this type of attack so effective is precisely its simplicity and ability to exploit human behavior.

More than technical failures, malicious links take advantage of people's inattention, curiosity, and lack of preparation.

Therefore, recognizing them should be a priority in security strategies, and not just a generic recommendation. It is essential to understand the real danger they pose in order to act responsibly.

How to create effective training to identify malicious links

As mentioned in the text, criminals usually direct their attacks to human failures, because due to the lack of culture and awareness of these people they become susceptible targets for their actions.

In this way, awareness is one of the most powerful tools in preventing cyberattacks.

After all, no matter how advanced security technology solutions are, they are not enough if the people who use the systems are not prepared to recognize and react to threats.

Awareness campaigns help employees understand that their actions, such as clicking on a link, downloading a file, or sharing information, can have direct impacts on the organization's security.

But for this to work, awareness needs to be more than simple training, it needs to be a strategic pillar of security, acting preventively against attacks.

Understand people's profiles

Before developing any content, it is essential to know your internal audience, aspects such as their roles, level of familiarity with technology, and main communication channels used in their routine.

A sales team, for example, may be more exposed to messages with links on social networks and external emails, while an HR team may receive links disguised in resumes and forms.

It is important to understand these differences, as they allow you to create personalized and more effective training.

In addition, adapting the language and examples to the reality of each area makes the content more accessible. Remember that the idea is to bring people closer to topics related to cybersecurity.

With this, instead of technical terms, use everyday situations that make sense to each person. This practical approach increases content retention and facilitates the application of what has been learned in the work routine.

Use phishing simulations

One of the most effective ways to teach how to identify suspicious links is through simulations.

For this, it is essential to create simulated phishing campaigns, as they allow you to test, in practice, people's level of attention and identify where the main points of vulnerability are.

The closer to reality the content of the simulation, the more impactful the learning will be. Because people will have contact with the techniques used by criminals and this will make them become more attentive.

But it is important to emphasize that the objective of these simulations should not be to punish those who make mistakes, but to transform mistakes into learning opportunities.

After each simulation, offer clear feedback and explanatory materials that help the person understand where they failed and how to act correctly next time. This educational approach strengthens knowledge without generating fear or resistance.

Invest in microlearning and recurring content

For people to know how to identify malicious links, it is important that cybersecurity is part of their routines.

Thus, learning needs to be continuous, after all, it is more efficient than one-off training.

Therefore, a good practice is to adopt microlearning, which is nothing more than short and objective content, such as:

• Videos;

• Quizzes;

• Messages with quick tips.

This keeps the topic in evidence and helps people absorb knowledge in a light and constant way. In addition, recurrence reinforces the desired behavior.

The threat posed by malicious links evolves rapidly, so training needs to be updated frequently as well. In this way, employees remain attentive and aligned with the new attack formats.

Foster a culture of attention and accountability

People, and more than that, organizations, need to understand that cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility, after all, we deal with cyber risks on a daily basis.

Thus, more than memorizing rules, the objective of training should be to create a culture in which everyone feels responsible for the company's safety.

For this to happen, it is important to encourage people to question suspicious messages and to report dubious links or communications. Showing that safety is a collective responsibility increases engagement with the topic.

And this will only be possible with the support of leadership, after all, when managers also participate in training and reinforce good practices in their teams, the message gains more strength.

This is because the example is essential to transform knowledge into daily behavior and keep safety as a priority shared by all.

PhishX in protection against malicious links

PhishX is an ecosystem focused on awareness and helps companies that want to turn their employees into the first line of defense against cyberattacks.

Through realistic phishing simulations, the platform allows you to identify human vulnerabilities and train people in a practical and contextualized way, based on the real challenges they face on a daily basis.

These exercises are combined with personalized learning paths, which use microlearning resources and continuous reinforcement to ensure long-term assimilation of content and behavior change.

In addition, the protection experience is expanded with PhishX Assistant, a digital assistant integrated into the platform that allows users to interact, consult and report suspicious messages, links and websites with practicality and security.

With PhishX's proprietary technology, the assistant helps reduce incident response time, automates calls, and guides employees in real time on how to act in the face of possible threats.

It is an all-in-one solution that unites prevention, education, and intelligent support to strengthen the safety culture across the organization.

Get in touch with our experts and find out how phishx can help you raise awareness among people in your organization and protect them from malicious links.

Employees need to be trained to identify malicious links.