Talpa’s security department has sent fake phishing emails to the entire staff to test how sharp the staff is. “I fell in love with it,” admits Niels van Baarlen.
A phishing email is a deceptive email that malicious people use to steal sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card information. It is very important that company employees do not click on a link in such an e-mail, otherwise malicious software can penetrate the company network and crash systems.
Fake phishing emails
It is very important to Talpa to prevent this and therefore the staff is regularly tested for attentiveness. Niels van Baarlen fell for it immediately. “Do you really study an email carefully when you get it?” says the sidekick, who can be heard from Monday in the main radio show of Radio 538, in Tim Klijn’s program.
Colleague Tim then: “Certainly, yes.”
Niels: “Have you ever thought that you think: this one is ehh…”
Tim: “Yes, I often do. Those fake phishing emails are also sometimes sent internally.”
‘I fell in’
So Niels is one of those types who immediately fall for it. “I got into it last week.”
Tim: “There was a message on behalf of the management, but it came from outside, it was way above it.”
Niels: “I opened it anyway and then I emailed the service desk: ‘Listen, I opened this email. Perhaps it was a test, then nothing wrong at all, otherwise we have a problem now.’ Then they indeed said: ‘It was a test, would you please keep your mouth shut to your colleagues for a while?’ To test everyone.”
Dancing dolls
Tim doesn’t think Niels is very sharp. “I’m in a number of group apps here at Talpa and one of those group apps immediately said: ‘Watch out, guys, phishing email!’”
Niels: “Oh, how lame. Oh how lame. Serious? I kept my mouth shut about that.”
Tim: “Oh, how neat. But you could still see it, because it said: ‘On behalf of the management’, and it came from outside.”
Niels: “Yes, of course, but you are in the speed, you do three things at the same time. Those dancing dolls came into the picture. You think: I’ll click on it. I will immediately send everything about the credit card away.”
Emails from ICS
Colleague sidekick Rick Romijn also often suffers from such e-mails. “Yes, I also receive all kinds of emails from ICS, the credit card.”
Tim: “The moment it becomes really important, they will send it by post. I always throw them away.”
Rick: “Last week I was asked if I wanted to give my pin code. Yes, I always think like this: those guys spend less than my wife. Hahahahaha!”