Training your staff to recognise suspicious emails is a vital step in protecting your business from cyber threats. Phishing emails—messages that try to trick recipients into revealing passwords, clicking harmful links, or opening infected attachments—are a common way cybercriminals gain access to business systems. Since email is a primary communication tool for most Australian businesses, employees are often the first line of defence against these attacks.
Why this matters for Australian SMBs
A successful phishing attack can lead to significant downtime, data theft, or ransomware infections, all of which disrupt operations and damage your reputation. For small and mid-sized businesses, recovering from such incidents can be costly and time-consuming. Beyond immediate impacts, mishandling sensitive customer or employee information can also raise compliance concerns under Australian privacy laws, further increasing risk.
A typical scenario
Consider a 50-person accounting firm in Melbourne using Microsoft 365 for email and document sharing. An employee receives an email appearing to be from a trusted client, asking for urgent invoice details. Without training, the employee might click a link that installs malware or hands over login credentials. A good IT partner would help by providing regular phishing awareness sessions and simulated phishing tests, enabling staff to spot red flags like unusual sender addresses, poor spelling, or unexpected requests. They'd also ensure Microsoft 365's built-in email security features are properly configured to filter out many threats before they reach inboxes.
Practical checklist for your business
- Ask your IT provider: Do you offer phishing awareness training and simulated phishing campaigns tailored for Australian SMBs?
- Check email security settings: Is Microsoft 365's Advanced Threat Protection enabled and configured to block suspicious attachments and links?
- Review incident response plans: Does your IT support include clear steps for employees to report suspicious emails?
- Conduct regular training: Schedule short, engaging sessions to update staff on new phishing tactics and reinforce best practices.
- Test employee readiness: Use simulated phishing emails to assess how well your team recognises threats and identify areas needing improvement.
- Maintain clear communication: Encourage a culture where employees feel comfortable asking IT for help without fear of blame.
Next steps
Building staff awareness around suspicious emails is a practical, cost-effective way to reduce cyber risk. If you're unsure how to start or want to improve your current approach, consider consulting a trusted managed IT provider or advisor familiar with Microsoft 365 and Australian business needs. They can help design training programs, optimise your email security settings, and establish clear reporting and response procedures tailored to your organisation.