How to Stop Your Executives from Being Harpooned

InfoWorld: Experts say a practice known as "whaling" -- launching a targeted phishing attack again top executives or other key employees -- is on the rise. "As more private information becomes public, through social media sites and otherwise, targeting specific individuals within companies has become easier for hackers and thus a preferred method of attack," says PricewaterhouseCoopers' Kim Peretti. To protect your enterprise, experts recommend five best practices:

1. Learn what a whaling attack is and how to identify actual threats and attacks.
2. Make your executives take the time to learn how to avoid being harpooned.
3. Do your own penetration testing and social engineering.
4. Use common sense with social networking.
5. Use security technology to help thwart attacks.