How London anti-phishing specialists can help protect your business

Phishing remains one of the most common ways criminals gain access to business systems. A convincing email, fake Microsoft 365 login page or urgent payment request can expose credentials, redirect money or introduce malware into your network.

Working with an anti-phishing company in London gives you access to practical controls, employee training and ongoing monitoring designed around the way your organisation operates. The aim is to reduce the chance of a successful attack and ensure suspicious activity is identified quickly.

The UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 found that 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack during the previous 12 months. Phishing was the most common type, affecting 38% of businesses. Among organisations that experienced a breach or attack, 69% described phishing as the most disruptive form.

Why phishing remains a serious business risk

Phishing messages often create pressure. They may appear to come from a director, supplier, bank or software provider. Some ask you to reset a password. Others request a payment, change bank details or encourage you to open an attachment.

Criminals can use company websites, LinkedIn profiles and previous data breaches to make messages look credible. Artificial intelligence can also help attackers create convincing content quickly.

Because your employees receive genuine urgent requests every day, advice such as “never click links” is unrealistic. A stronger approach combines technology, clear processes and regular practice.

Assessing your current exposure

An anti-phishing provider should begin by reviewing your systems, users and existing controls. This may include Microsoft 365 settings, email filtering, multi-factor authentication, domain protection and account permissions.

The review should also consider how invoices are approved, password resets are handled and suspicious messages are reported. Technology can block many threats, but it cannot fix an unclear payment process.

A useful assessment may cover:

• Email security and filtering rules
• Multi-factor authentication
• Domain settings such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC
• Administrator and user permissions
• Security awareness training
• Incident reporting procedures
• Protection for remote workers

The result should be a prioritised improvement plan rather than a long list of theoretical risks. The most urgent weaknesses can then be addressed first, helping you use your cyber security budget more effectively.

Running realistic phishing simulations

Phishing simulations send controlled test messages to employees. They show how people respond to realistic threats without exposing your business to genuine harm.

The purpose should not be to catch people out. A good programme identifies patterns and provides immediate learning. An employee who clicks a simulated Microsoft 365 password reset link can be shown the warning signs they missed while the example is still fresh.

Campaigns can be adapted to different teams. Finance employees may receive fake invoice requests, while human resources teams may be tested with false CV attachments. Senior managers may receive messages designed to look as though they came from a trusted adviser or colleague.

Results should then be reviewed over time. Useful measurements include reporting rates, repeated risky behaviour and the types of messages that cause confusion. Click rates alone do not provide the full picture.

Providing training that changes behaviour

Annual training is often treated as a compliance task. Employees watch a presentation, answer several questions and return to work. This may satisfy a policy requirement, but it does not necessarily change behaviour.

Effective training is shorter, more frequent and relevant to real working situations. It should explain how to check a sender’s address, recognise a fake login page, verify an unexpected payment request and report suspicious activity.

Training should also cover phishing through text messages, QR codes, collaboration tools and phone calls. Criminals do not restrict themselves to email, especially when your employees use several communication channels each day.

Employees should know that reporting a mistake quickly is more valuable than hiding it. If someone enters a password on a suspicious website, early reporting may allow your IT team to reset credentials and investigate before further damage occurs.

Strengthening Microsoft 365 and email protection

Training works best when supported by properly configured technology. A specialist can review Microsoft 365 security settings, malicious-link protection, attachment scanning and email authentication.

Multi-factor authentication should be applied wherever possible, particularly to email, cloud services and administrator accounts. It adds an important barrier when a password has been stolen. However, it must be configured properly because attackers may use repeated or fraudulent approval prompts.

SPF, DKIM and DMARC can reduce the risk of criminals impersonating your company’s domain. These controls help receiving mail systems check whether messages claiming to come from your domain are genuine.

Email filtering can also help identify malicious attachments, suspicious links and messages from newly registered or misleading domains. No filter will stop every threat, which is why technical protection must be combined with employee awareness.

Creating clear verification procedures

Technology cannot always confirm whether a genuine-looking request from a compromised supplier account should be trusted. Your business also needs simple verification procedures.

A change of bank details should be confirmed using a known telephone number, not the contact details included in the request. Large or unusual payments should require approval from more than 1 person. Password resets and confidential data requests should follow a documented process.

Consider a fake invoice for £25,000 that appears to come from a regular supplier. A short verification call could prevent a serious loss. The process may feel cautious, but it is less disruptive than trying to recover money after it has been transferred.

These procedures should be clear enough to follow during a busy working day. Complicated rules may be ignored, particularly when employees are under pressure.

Monitoring and responding to incidents

Your protection should continue after training and configuration work is complete. Threats change, employees join and leave, and new cloud tools are introduced. Regular reviews help ensure your controls still match your risk.

Employees need an obvious way to report suspicious messages, such as a reporting button in Outlook. Your IT provider should be able to review the message, remove similar emails from other inboxes and decide whether accounts or devices require investigation.

Your incident response plan should state who makes decisions, who contacts customers or suppliers and how critical systems will be restored. Depending on the circumstances, a personal data breach may also need to be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Suspicious emails can be forwarded to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk. Reporting helps the NCSC investigate malicious campaigns and remove fraudulent websites.

What to look for in an anti-phishing provider

Choose a provider that combines technical support with practical employee education. A generic training platform may help, but it should not be treated as a complete defence.

Look for a provider that can:

• Assess your email and identity security
• Configure Microsoft 365 protections
• Run realistic phishing simulations
• Deliver training suited to different roles
• Help employees report incidents quickly
• Investigate suspicious activity
• Provide clear improvement recommendations
• Support wider cyber security planning

The provider should explain risk in plain language and recommend controls that fit your organisation. More software is not always the answer. Configuration, processes and employee confidence matter just as much.

Build a stronger defence against phishing

Phishing cannot be eliminated completely, but its likelihood and impact can be reduced. The strongest protection combines secure email configuration, multi-factor authentication, realistic simulations, regular training and clear verification procedures.

Northern Star can review your current anti-phishing controls, identify practical gaps and help you build a layered security approach for your London business.

Contact Northern Star today to discuss phishing protection, employee awareness training and wider IT security support.