Building a Strong Cybersecurity Defense Against Phishing and Smishing

The freight industry has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals looking to steal carriers’ identities, pay, and even cargo. Scammers are getting craftier, and attacks are becoming more common. This is costing businesses millions of dollars, both in wasted time and lost revenue.

Bad actors are constantly developing new tricks, using phishing, smishing, and quishing, making it harder even for the best security systems to stop them. Falling victim can result in financial loss, data breaches, and operational disruptions. As these scams get extremely good at looking like “the real thing” and become difficult to identify, it’s critical to educate yourself.

Being able to consistently detect phishing emails in your inbox, smishing texts on your smartphone, and quishing QR codes that seem legitimate are key to protecting you and your business.

What are common cyber scams?

Three common cyber scams include:

1. Phishing

Phishing is a scam where cybercriminals try to steal your sensitive information, like account numbers or passwords. They do this by sending fake emails or creating fake websites that look like they’re from a legitimate company or someone you trust. Once they have your information, they can use it to hack into your accounts and intercept or redirect funds or payments, leaving you holding the bag and cleaning up a financial mess.

In phishing emails, the cybercriminal might ask for the following:

• Date of birth
• Social Security number
• Phone number
• Home address
• Credit card details
• Login details
• Passwords or other information to reset a password

The information can be used to impersonate you, allowing scammers to apply for credit cards or loans, open a bank account, or commit other cybercrime.

Phishing happens when you act on a fraudulent email that requires urgent action or asks you to do something, including:

• Click an attachment.
• Update a password.
• Respond to a contact request via social media.
• Connect to a new Wi-Fi hotspot.

2. Smishing

Smishing is a cyberattack that uses deceptive mobile text messages to trick people into sharing sensitive information, downloading viruses and malware, or sending money — all with the intent to steal from you. Just like email-based phishing attacks, these messages appear to be from trusted sources. They create a sense of urgency, curiosity, or fear to manipulate users into taking an undesired action.

For example, a text message might alert you of a suspicious transaction, urging you to take some sort of action like verifying your account.

Other common tactics include:

• Tech support scams: Users get a message warning them about a problem with their device or account, requesting they contact a tech support number. Upon calling the number, the user could end up being charged, or the person acting like a technician might request remote access to the device, resulting in theft.
• Service cancellation alerts: The fraudster warns the victim that a subscription or service is about to be canceled due to a payment issue. The recipient is urged to click on a link to “resolve” the issue, which usually leads to a phishing page.
• Malicious app downloads: Scammers might send a text message promoting a supposedly useful or entertaining app. Clicking the download link in the message actually installs malicious software on your device.

3. Quishing

Quishing is a scam that uses fake QR codes to lure unsuspecting victims into visiting malicious websites or downloading harmful software. With people more comfortable using QR codes post-pandemic, quishing presents a significant risk. These scams also often bypass traditional security measures, such as email filters and antivirus software, making them particularly hard to detect.

Cybercriminals may embed malicious QR codes in various places, such as:

• Emails that appear to come from trusted sources.
• Physical locations like public advertisements or parking tickets.

When scanned, these codes redirect victims to phishing websites that prompt them to download malware. Quishing can lead to identity theft, unauthorized payments, and data breaches.

Common quishing tactics include:

• Fake payment requests: Scammers may place fraudulent QR codes on invoices or parking tickets that request payment.
• Identity theft: Codes may lead to malicious login pages that capture your usernames and passwords to access your account information.
• Malware distribution: Some QR codes can initiate automatic downloads of harmful software onto a device. This can be used to steal sensitive information, damage a device, or spy on your internet activity.

Why the freight industry is a target for scammers

The freight industry is particularly vulnerable to these types of fraud for two reasons:

1. Big payouts: These scams can be very profitable for criminals. If they can steal login information from carriers, brokers, or shippers, they can impersonate legitimate companies and steal payments made during transactions.
2. Fast-paced communication: Freight involves a lot of communication via email and text messages. This includes everything from updates on shipments to price negotiations and payments. People in the freight industry are used to this constant communication, which makes them more susceptible to clicking on malicious links or giving away information in phishing attempts. If you’re not careful, you can unsuspectingly click on a link or divulge information that could lead to an attack.

Importance of freight cybersecurity

As the trucking industry faces more digital challenges, you’ll need to protect your assets from freight scams. With the right cybersecurity solutions, you can help reduce risks, safeguard your profits, and make timely deliveries. In an industry where time and money are crucial, a solid cybersecurity plan is essential for your lasting success.

Protecting assets

As the logistics industry uses more technology to improve operations, the risks of cyber threats increase. This puts your cargo and money at risk. Freight scams are becoming more common, but security measures can protect your assets and keep operations running smoothly.

Preventing financial losses

A solid freight cybersecurity plan can help you avoid financial loss. If tricked into a freight scam, you can lose money from stolen cargo. You also risk a hit to your reputation and your customers’ trust. In an industry where profits can be small, losing just one shipment can have a huge effect. Investing in cybersecurity measures can help protect your business and cargo.

Enhancing operational efficiency

With advanced cybersecurity tools, you can reduce risks and improve your operations. With real-time monitoring systems, data encryption, and threat detection software, you can create a safer work environment. The right platform can help protect your cargo and build trust with clients, as they’ll know their goods are secure.

Overcoming time constraints

Time is a big factor in the trucking industry. You likely work under tight schedules, constantly aiming to deliver your goods quickly. The rush can make it tough to pay attention to cybersecurity issues. However, partnering with a reliable software provider can help you with this.

Truckstop’s Risk Factors can help you mitigate fraud even while facing time constraints. It is the only carrier vetting tool you can use to analyze your potential risk that can be integrated into your existing workflow. This helps you protect your business while ensuring smooth operations.

How to protect your business from cyberattacks

Watch out for common freight scams and be cautious about navigating email links to avoid scams. Opting for secure software solutions and following security measures can also help you protect your business from these attacks:

Watch out for these red flags

It’s difficult to tell a legitimate message from a scam, but certain red flags can alert you of a fraudulent message. Here are ways to identify suspicious emails or texts:

• Unusual content: Be wary of any emails, text messages, or QR codes that seem out of place, irrelevant, unexpected, or unsolicited.
• Unknown senders: Phishing and smishing messages tend to come from unknown senders — although scammers are very good at making the “sent from” look like a legitimate source. Be cautious of messages from people or addresses you don’t recognize or those from senders you typically do not receive messages from.
• Strange requests: Be suspicious if a message offers something unexpected, asks for personal information you wouldn’t normally share, or seems demanding.
• Urgent requests: Be wary of messages pushing you to respond quickly.

Safely check email and text links

If an email or text seems suspicious, there are ways you can confirm legitimacy safely:

1. Exercise caution when clicking email links: Hover over the email link or check the URL from a QR code to see if it reveals anything unusual. If it seems irregular or points you to an unfamiliar site, err on the side of caution by not clicking on the link.
2. Be suspicious of anyone asking for sensitive information: If the message requests personal information from you, your first line of defense is to be suspicious. Unknown sources that demand your personal information, passwords, or payment information should always be investigated with caution. If the message creates a sense of urgency or fear, it’s best to do your due diligence.
3. Watch for grammatical errors: Phishing and smishing messages often contain misspelled words or language irregularities, signaling that they originate from bad actors in other countries.

Follow security best practices

Phishing and smishing scams are a constant threat for carriers and brokers. By following these steps, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to one:

• Verify the sender’s identity: Before clicking links or opening attachments, inspect the “from” address carefully for discrepancies or irregularities.
• Note unsolicited offers: Always be cautious of unsolicited offers or prize notifications.
• Avoid sharing personal information: Never share sensitive information through email or text.
• Report scams: Report suspicious messages to your IT department or relevant authorities.
• Follow security practices: Use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and enhanced security tools available to you.
• Check the domain authenticity: Validate the domain authenticity before clicking on any links or entering personal credentials. For example, confirm you are visiting Truckstop.com and not info-truckstop.com or Truckstop.blog.

If you suspect a cyber crime, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, the central hub for reporting these types of scams. It’s monitored by the FBI and contains educational resources on the latest and most threatening cyber scams.

Choose secure software solutions

Opting for the most secure software solutions is critical. The right platform will help protect your business from cyber threats. Choose a provider that offers comprehensive security features to help keep your data safe. These solutions should include automatic updates, regular security audits, and user access controls to help you limit vulnerabilities.

Truckstop can help protect your business with advanced technology. We’ve gone the extra mile to keep your business safe with our advanced security measures — identity verification and multi-factor authentication.

Identity verification validates the identity of anyone who attempts to log in on behalf of a carrier by matching their government-issued ID against a real-time selfie. MFA provides even more protection from compromised credentials while allowing convenient access across Truckstop products.

With these secure solutions, you can shield your business from cyberattacks and ensure the integrity of your operations.

Secure your business online and on the road with Truckstop

Cybercriminals keep inventing new ways to trick people and steal their information. Here at Truckstop, we’ve got your back. We’re constantly developing new security features for the load board to fight fraudsters and keep your business safe. With Truckstop, you can focus on what matters most — running your business with confidence.

Request a demo today of our advanced security features and take the first step to securing your business.