One of the largest attack surfaces for your business is your email. It’s the common target of cybercriminals in phishing and spam, where they spread malware or steal sensitive information. For this reason, email security should be a priority in your organization. This article will explore the definition of email security, its importance, common threats to be aware of, and best practices. To know what email security is, keep on reading!
What Is Email Security
Email security refers to the different methods and techniques conducted to protect your organization’s email accounts, content, and communication from common threats — such as unauthorized access, loss, or compromise.
Importance Of Email Security
Email is one of the important communication tools that you use in your organization. It empowers you to communicate with clients, potential customers, suppliers, employees, and other businesses all around the world. It is quick, cost-effective, and gets the job done. Most people know how to use email, so it doesn’t require special training.
But because it holds sensitive data, business data, personal information, and is used by everyone, email is also considered one of your organization’s largest attack surfaces. It is used by cybercriminals to spread malware, perform phishing attacks, etc. For this reason, email security should be one of your priorities when it comes to cybersecurity.
Common Email Threats
There are plenty of different methods cybercriminals use for email attacks. Here are some examples:
Spam
Malware is one of the most common threats that can be delivered into your organization’s email accounts. This is done through spam emails, which are unsolicited junk emails that are usually sent out in bulk.
These messages typically impersonate legitimate institutions and persons — such as customers, suppliers, or business partners. For this reason, the targeted recipients are tricked into downloading the malicious files, attachments, and malware contained in the message.
Phishing
Phishing attacks are commonly done through email and are similar to spam. The difference is that phishing email is more customized in nature. Phishing involves posing as a legitimate institution to lure targets into providing sensitive data — such as personal information, passwords, and banking details.
This is usually done through the dissemination of a fake link where unsuspecting individuals can fill in sensitive information. This data is often used to access accounts — which may lead to financial loss, as well as credential and identity theft.
Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise (BEC) involves a cybercriminal targeting your organization to defraud it. This scam relies more on impersonation and social engineering techniques rather than malware or malicious links.
The attacker impersonates someone that the recipient trusts — such as high-ranking officials in the company, the CEO, a colleague, or a vendor. It involves studying the victim’s habits and behaviors to create a realistic email. Then they request funds or obtain sensitive information that can be used for future attacks.
Email Security Best Practices
Protect your email accounts and business data from attackers by following these tips:
- Train Employees: Employees should know how to spot a threat and respond accordingly when they encounter malicious emails to reduce the chances of a successful attack.
- Create Strong And Unique Passwords: Using weak passwords or reusing the same ones can make it easier for cybercriminals to hack into email accounts. It’s important to use different passwords for each account, too.
- Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA): MFA can add another layer of defense to your email accounts. In addition to the login credentials, the account holder will also need to provide other authentication requirements, such as a One-Time Pin, or biometrics.
- Utilize Email Security Solutions: Trend Micro Email Security is security software that can help protect your organization from email threats. It can screen out malicious senders and analyze email content to prevent spam and phishing. It also protects you from malicious links which could be sent by attackers.
Email Security As A Service
To make email security implementation easier, CT Link is here to provide you with Email Security As A Service. We can work with your team to find the best security policies that will help keep your accounts and data safe and secure.
First, your current email infrastructure will be analyzed to create a customized security architecture design. Then, the security policies are tested to detect errors and misconfigurations. After implementation, the security solution is tested through spoof attacks. Once everything is in place, CT Link works with your team for the knowledge transfer.
Key Takeaway
Email security is vital for organizations that use email for communication with employees, clients, suppliers, and partners. This is because your email accounts could be targeted by cybercriminals that want to steal credentials, business data, or money.
Now that you know what email security is, you have a better idea of the next steps you could take to protect your accounts and business data. For assistance with your concerns, you may send us a message here on this website.