SLAM Mnemonic – A Is for Attachment

As we continue our review of the SLAM method for identifying phishing emails, this week, we turn to the letter A. The A in SLAM stands for attachments. Email attachments are a common way cybercriminals try to infiltrate systems. This is because attachments can contain malware and do considerable damage. So, taking caution with attachments is critical.

To recap the SLAM mnemonic, each letter has the following designation:

S – Sender of the email

L – Links found in the body of the email

A – Attachments to the email

M – Message of the communication

Email attachments are like packages. If a stranger approached you on the street, gave you an unsolicited box, and told you to open it, would you? Most people wouldn’t. The same caution is necessary with email attachments.

When you receive an email with an attachment, you should only open it when:

You know the sender.
You were expecting the attachment.
The attachment makes sense for the context of the email.

Because malicious attachments can wreak havoc, bad actors will often try to impersonate the sender and create a sense of urgency to further encourage you to download the attachment. Likewise, they will often creatively name attachments to help gain your trust. Don’t feel pressured to open an attachment. Take your time and use the other components of SLAM to vet the email thoroughly.

If you are unsure if an attachment is legitimate, contact your supervisor or IT. Always think before you act. Once you open a bad attachment, it may be stealthy, so you might not immediately know the damage it’ll render.

Next week we’ll look at the letter M in the SLAM mnemonic. If you need a cyber security training solution in the meantime, contact a cyber security training company like Athreon. Athreon offers one of the best cyber security training programs that can help you strengthen your cyber security posture. Athreon’s solutions for employee training, security risk assessments, and dark web monitoring are the industry’s best. Contact Athreon for more details and a complimentary cyber security consultation.