Recognizing the person who sent you an email, text, or phone call used to provide some reassurance that a message was legitimate. Unfortunately, that’s no longer enough. Email accounts can be compromised, phone numbers can be spoofed, social media accounts can be taken over, and artificial intelligence can even imitate the voice of someone you know.
Instead of asking only, “Do I know this person?” ask, “Does this request make sense?” An unexpected message from a coworker asking you to open a document, a friend suddenly requesting money, or a family member calling with an urgent emergency should still raise questions, even when the name, email address, phone number, or voice seems familiar.
If a request is unusual, urgent, involves money or sensitive information, or simply feels out of character, verify it another way. Call the person using a number you already know, start a new message instead of replying, or ask them directly. Don’t use the contact information provided in the suspicious message.
Cybersecurity is increasingly about verifying the situation, not just recognizing the sender. Trust the person, but verify the request.