Email Security Services Are The Need Of The Hour To Prevent Cybercrime
If a hacker gains access to your computer networks using your email inbox. Email security services help you deal with such issues.
Sending an email is one of the easiest ways to hack into one’s computer systems. Cybercriminals usually use this route to post malicious email attachments to unsuspecting users. Clicking on such unsolicited links or downloading such malicious software opens the door for these hackers to enter and play havoc with the systems. Therefore, it becomes imperative for users to install email security services to protect the theft of their confidential information.
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Email Security Services
Email security service providers ensure email security by using multiple techniques to protect the identity of the sender, receiver, and the contents of the email message. Some of the methods used are strong passwords, access control mechanisms on an email server, encryption of email messages, and digital signing of messages. These techniques can either be applied when the mail is in the inbox or in transit to or from the email contacts.
Email security services also include the use of firewalls and spam filtering applications to prevent or restrict malicious, unsolicited, or untrustworthy emails.
What Is Email Security?
Email security is a broad term. It refers to various measures one can take to secure the access and content of an email message, account, or service. Email security allows individuals as well as organizations to protect or secure their email addresses and content from hackers.
Types Of Email Security
There are different types of email security by which you can secure your email account and its contents. We shall discuss some of the conventional methods of email security measures.
Strong Passwords
Usually, a strong password is one that is not easily guessed by a cybercriminal. It is better to use a combination of alphabets (small and large cases), numbers, and special characters when selecting the password. The more complex the password, the more challenging it is for the hacker to break it.
Password Rotation
Rotating your password or changing it at frequent intervals can help maintain email security. It can also throw the hackers off their guard. Deciphering a password takes time. If you keep on rotating your passwords, it makes it difficult for the cybercriminal to guess your passwords.
Spam Filters
Usually, a significant proportion of your email inbox is junk mail. Not every junk mail has malicious content, but the converse is always right. Hence, it is better to have spam filters in your email account that separate the genuine emails from the unsolicited ones. You can go through the spam email inbox at regular intervals to check whether any of your legitimate emails have found their way there. Otherwise, it is better to discard such spam emails without opening them at all.
Anti-virus Applications
These applications make sure that each email is scanned for malicious content before allowing access. Similarly, it also scans each outgoing email to ensure that it does not contain any malicious software or viruses, either.
Email Security In Information Security
In this age of technology, emails are one of the principal modes of sharing information. The advantages of using emails are as follows.
- It is quick and instantaneous.
- There are no time or geographical constraints for sending or receiving emails.
- One can verify whether the recipient has received the email or not.
- It also serves as proof of having communicated with the recipient.
Under such circumstances, you can understand the importance of emails for transmitting or sharing information. While being the preferred medium for sharing information, emails are also the easiest ways to infiltrate into computer networks. Hackers or cybercriminals use emails to send malicious content or software, thereby inducing recipients to share critical information.
Email security helps you to separate legitimate messages from fake/malicious ones. Similarly, it is necessary to secure the information that you send to your contacts through email. There are chances of hackers intercepting them while in transit. Hence, email security in information security becomes critical. One way of securing the information you send via email is to encrypt the messages. Email security services providers concentrate on such aspects, as well.
Email Security In Cryptography
You could have the best email security services installed on your network systems. However, you leave the field open after you send an email to the recipient. The cybercriminal can always hack such emails either in transit or after it reaches the recipient. Is there any way to thwart such attempts by hackers? Yes, encrypting your email messages is a sure way of preventing access to hackers.
Email cryptography is part of the email security services provided by reputed email security service providers. Such encrypting includes the email message headers and attachments, as well. Thus, the cybercriminal is unable to access any part of the message that enables him/her to guess the contents of the email message. It is known as email security in cryptography.
Email Security Features
Any email security software solution should have the following email security features. However, the requirements can differ from one individual/organization to another, depending on their usage.
Spam Filters
Installing spam filters is of paramount importance because there are always chances of malicious content seeping through such unsolicited emails. Email marketers send billions of marketing emails, a significant portion of which is spam or unsolicited mail. These spam messages clog the inboxes, thereby resulting in the recipient ignoring a legitimate email message. Installing spam filters allows the computer networks to direct these email messages to a separate email inbox. The recipient can access the mailbox and search for any genuine email if it has been inadvertently directed there. Usually, email security services providers arrange for the deletion of these spam emails automatically after a specific period.
Anti-virus Protection
Viruses not only affect the email messages but also wreak havoc in the computer systems. Once a virus gets entry into a system, there is no limit to the damage it can do. Hence, anti-virus protection is an integral aspect of email security services. The viruses usually enter computer networks through email attachments. They have a robust antivirus solution in place that can deter the entry of such malicious viruses.
Content & Image Control
Apart from email attachments, cybercriminals send malicious links through email messages and images as well. If an unsuspecting user clicks on such links and pictures, it can make him/her vulnerable to hacking. Email security service providers have strict security measures in place to check email content and images.
Data Encryption
Email messages are usually open to pilferage when they are in transit. Hackers are smart enough to tap into such vulnerabilities and solicit confidential information. Hence, data encryption should be the cornerstone of every email security service.
Final Words
Emails are convenient ways of exchanging information. However, they also provide cybercriminals with an opportunity to access computer networks with ease. Hence, every individual and organization should exercise caution and install email security services on their systems to prevent such unauthorized access.
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