🚨 What to Do If You Clicked a Suspicious Link (Before It’s Too Late)
- Alex Hughes
- Nov 12
- 4 min read
If you’ve found your way to this blog because you think you’ve clicked a suspicious link — stop reading and report it to your IT team right now.
That’s rule number one.
When it comes to cyber threats, speed is everything. Malware doesn’t always announce itself immediately — it can sit quietly on your system, watching, waiting, and spreading. Sometimes for hours. Sometimes for days. Sometimes for weeks.
And while you might think, “I didn’t download anything, so I’m probably fine,” that’s exactly what modern phishing campaigns rely on. A single click can trigger hidden scripts, install silent spyware, or send your credentials to an attacker’s server in seconds.
That’s why your very first action — before panicking, before Googling, before clicking another thing — is to tell your IT provider or internal IT team straight away.
It’s the most effective way to contain the threat before it spreads further.
🕵️♀️ Why Acting Fast Matters
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: cyber threats don’t always hit hard right away. Many are designed to stay invisible until the damage is done.
Some sit dormant — waiting for the right moment or instruction to activate.
Others move laterally — quietly searching for passwords, shared drives, or open systems.
Some impersonate you — using your mailbox or device to spread further inside your organisation.
By the time a symptom appears (a weird pop-up, a slow system, a bounced email), the damage might already be in motion. That’s why early reporting is the most powerful defence you’ve got — and why your IT team would always rather you over-report than under-report.
⚠️ Step-by-Step: What to Do If You Clicked a Suspicious Link
1. Disconnect from the Internet
Unplug your network cable or turn off Wi-Fi immediately.
This stops the threat from communicating with external servers or spreading across your company’s network.
2. Report It Immediately
Contact your IT provider or internal support team.
Include details like:
The time and date of the click
The sender’s email address or web link
A screenshot of the email (if possible, without reopening it)
If you’re an IT Desk customer, this is exactly the kind of situation our early-morning monitoring is designed for — we’ll isolate the risk before it causes wider disruption. Contact us for more information.
3. Don’t Try to “Fix” It Yourself
Avoid downloading antivirus tools, running online scans, or deleting the email.
These can interfere with digital forensics or even make things worse. Let your IT team handle the cleanup.
4. Change Your Passwords (Safely)
Once your IT team confirms it’s safe, reset your passwords — especially for:
Microsoft 365 and Teams
Online banking or payroll portals
Any system using your business email for login
Use strong, unique passwords or a password manager, and enable MFA (multi-factor authentication) wherever possible.
5. Warn Your Team
If you received the suspicious message through work email or Teams, it’s likely others have too.
A quick message to your team or IT contact can prevent someone else from clicking it — stopping the spread before it starts.
🧠 How to Spot a Suspicious Link Next Time
The best defence is awareness. Here’s what to look for:
Unexpected urgency: “Your account will be deleted!” or “Invoice overdue!”
Odd sender domains: Even one letter out of place can hide a fake.
Spelling or grammar errors: Professional companies don’t send sloppy emails.
Unusual links: Hover before you click — does the URL match the sender’s site?
Attachments you weren’t expecting: Especially ZIPs, PDFs, or “secure” links.
Remember: real companies rarely ask for sensitive information via email. If in doubt, contact them through their official website or number — not the email itself.
🛡️ The Calm After the Click: Why Reporting Quickly Protects Everyone
When you report fast, you’re not just protecting yourself — you’re protecting your whole organisation.
Quick action allows IT teams to:
Quarantine affected systems
Revoke compromised access
Block the sender organisation-wide
Scan backups for hidden threats
Provide reassurance (and training) to your team
And because IT Desk’s proactive monitoring starts before most people have switched on their laptops, we can often spot the signs of compromise before they escalate — so you can get back to work without the Monday morning panic.
🙋♀️ People Also Ask
1. I clicked a suspicious link but nothing happened — am I safe?
Not necessarily. Some malware runs silently in the background. Always inform your IT provider so they can check for hidden processes, unauthorised logins, or credential theft.
2. Should I delete the phishing email right away?
No — not until your IT team says it’s okay. They might need it for analysis or to block similar messages across your organisation.
3. Can antivirus software stop phishing attacks?
Antivirus can help, but it’s not foolproof. Many phishing attacks exploit human behaviour, not system vulnerabilities — which is why awareness and proactive monitoring matter most.
4. What should I do if I entered my password after clicking the link?
Change your password immediately and enable MFA. Then alert IT so they can scan for compromised accounts or suspicious logins.
🔗 Further Reading
For a cybersecurity review of your systems, and how we can help you avoid these threats as they evolve.
