The use of emails has always been increasing ever since its inception in the 1960s. Business communication, circulation of academic information, conveying personal information – almost everything is passed on between individuals or organizations via emails mainly for either or all of the following reasons:
Emails are faster.
Emails are reliable.
Emails ensure that the information reaches the end recipient and, if not, notifies the sender about it.
There is no scope of data loss with emails.
Emails are an excellent means of recording information chronologically.
On the surface, there is nothing to be concerned about in email communication. The accounts of both the sender and the receiver are self-operated and locked by passwords which only both of these parties know. However, with the advancement of useful technology occurs an equal (if not higher) rise in technology which brings vicious attackers and hackers into the picture.
What Is Phishing?
Phishing attacks are just like fishing in a river where a person tries to get hold of a fish by giving it a believable bait of a bread crumb or any similar bit of food. However, in phishing attacks, the fishes are the netizens, and the fishermen are the cyber attackers. Phishing attacks are most commonly circulated via email messages. In such attacks, an unexpected mail from a seemingly credible source asks the receiver to take specific immediate action (such as paying unpaid dues or claiming a reward) by clicking on an attached link or downloading a file. But these are impersonating emails taking the user to fake websites created by the attacker. And often, these install malware into the computers of users. These attacks also happen in other forms like through voice messages (Vishing), SMS frauds (Smishing), attacks targeting the big shots of an organization from whom the profits can be maximum (Whaling) or creating a replica of a website to win the trust of an unsuspecting user (Pharming).
What Is Malware?
Malware is another means used by attackers to install corrupt files and software into the computer systems of users without their permission or against their will. Often malware operates secretly and steals the private information of users without their knowledge. This information is then accessed by the attacker who either uses the data to blackmail the victim, launch a sextortion campaign, or sell the stolen details at a high price in the dark market. Its types include:
Ransomware – which locks the system of the user or encrypts files until the demanded ransom is paid.
Spyware – which launches spying software into the computer and steals data.
Scareware – which attempts to extract user information by instilling fear in them.
Adware – where malware gets downloaded via attacker-created fake advertisements.
What Is Email Security?
Email security is the process of shielding email accounts from the attacks of vicious hackers. It refers to the means employed by a user, an organization, or an information network to keep themselves secure from these phishing attempts and malware attacks.
How To Ensure Email Security?
Email security can never be a fool-proof plan as the attackers always manage to find some loophole even in the most sophisticated methods of protection. However, minimizing such attacks is the objective, and this can be achieved by adopting the following measures:
Setting strong passwords: Strong passwords with alphanumeric characters and symbols are highly recommended. It’s always more important to have secure passwords instead of easy to remember passwords.
Changing passwords from time to time: Using the same password for too long makes you more vulnerable to hacking attempts of attackers. Hence it is always advisable to change passwords from time to time. Also, having different passwords for different accounts is a smarter decision than otherwise.
Having a good antivirus installed: Antivirus software creates a layer of protection against all types of viruses and malware trying to attack your devices. It is a must to have an antivirus when you visit multiple websites on the Internet or install external devices and disks into your computer.
Having anti-spam filters: Anti-spam filters ensure that spam emails or messages do not show up in your mailbox, thus protecting your system from the malicious emails sent by attackers. It also saves you a lot of time and energy that gets wasted otherwise in opening those emails.
Using only updated software: Software developers update software from time to time to incorporate patches and other improvements to make the software secure and more efficient. Not updating one’s software to the latest version is sending an invitation to attackers to steal your files.
Being wise on the web: With everything said and done, the most frugal tip remaining is to be careful on the Internet. One must have a skeptical mind and halt before impulsively clicking on links and pop-ups. A click takes hardly a second, but often its after-effects cost millions of dollars!
Since one cannot do away with emails, one needs to find ways and means of doing away with the threats to email security. Protecting yourselves on the web is not easy but also not unachievable. Taking specific preventive measures goes a long way in keeping attackers and malware away.
A tremendous evolution can be seen in the internet threat landscape in recent years. Cyber-attacks have become more sophisticated to easily infiltrate an email infrastructure and cripple any organization’s business operations in seconds. The latest Gartner report points out that attacks relating to business email compromise (BEC) will double in number every year (to over $5 billion) by 2023, resulting in substantial financial losses to organizations.
Emails are the primary means of commercial, professional, academic, diplomatic, and other official correspondence. An office employee receives around 200 emails daily, and not all of these emails come from harmless or relevant senders. Ninety percent of the email exchanged globally accounts for spam email. Spam email and its associated cyber risks are known to all – it is the root cause of malware, Trojan, and virus spread through email. Data breaches, compromise of confidential intelligence, and financial fraud are initiated by spam and phishing emails commonly appearing as an ’email security alert.’
In this digital age, communication and payment transactions are performed online. And email remains the number one communication channel due to its flexibility, reliability, and ease of use. As such, it is the preferred channel by malicious actors to attack an organization. The current pandemic has contributed much to the use of emails. As a result, cybercrime has evolved with innovative and sophisticated techniques to carry out Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks, which necessitates robust email security for any organization.
Email security threats are increasing day by the day as more organizations use the online route for business and communications. Avoiding email security threats is of paramount importance and forms an integral part of every cybersecurity strategy employed by organizations worldwide.
No standard business in today’s world operates without an email server. Most business communication takes place through emails. It also means that a lot of sensitive, personally identifiable information (PII) remains in such organizations’ mailboxes. But a single cyberattack or security vulnerability can invite trouble not just in the form of business disruption but also as a risk of identity theft, extortion, or financial loss for all stakeholders, including employees, partners, and the most crucial part of any business – the customers.
The sophistication of phishing and hacking has improved with advancements in technology. Under such circumstances, online business owners must adhere to cybersecurity compliance without fail. An online business is at a more significant risk than an offline one as online malicious attacks can disrupt its activities anytime. It will require all sorts of protection, such as email security, phishing protection, ransomware protection, and anti-phishing services to protect the organization. The below information on data breaches in 2020 is something to ponder about
With the hike in the number of data leaks, phishing and spear-phishing attacks, and other security breaches, most users wonder how they can prevent their personal and sensitive information from getting into the hands of adversaries. Organizations have started to pay attention to phishing protection, ransomware protection, and other cybersecurity measures to secure their information assets. However, one aspect that no enterprise should sideline when it comes to email security is the concept of email encryption.
Walking in the shoes of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) brings the colossal responsibility of securing the clients’ interests. With online adversaries escalating in the digital age, email security continues to be a priority for organizations. Given that 88% of global organizations encountered spear-phishing attempts in 2019, the adversaries look even more menacing a couple of years later. For a CIO, the Information Technology policies largely revolve around managing persistent threats coming through emails. In 2021, emails continue to be one of the favorite channels for malicious actors to inflict damage. Therefore, right from choosing the email hosting provider to incorporating the security protocols, one needs to be on the front foot.
Maintaining standards across the organization by managing things well is what everyone dreams of, but lacunae creep into the structure gradually. To overcome this issue, most organizations outsource their internal services to third-party vendors. Maintaining the business email infrastructure, including overall email management and email security, is such a service.
Inactive accounts may not seem to be much of a security concern, but these can prove to be the reason behind the downfall of the entire digital network of an organization, given the threat actor is competent enough to use a single inactive account to get access to organization’s insider information.
Email security has been crucial in helping businesses implement appropriate business policies and achieve set objectives. Without safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data passed through email communication, an SME cannot think of business growth or further development.
Managed Service Providers or MSPs provide a host of services that help clients across a lot of domains. MSPs are a welcome addition to any team for various services, from protecting their network against malicious attacks to anti-phishing solutions. However, one of the areas that they have overlooked is the ubiquitous email. It is not only an important sector but a lucrative one too. MSPs must pay more attention to email security services if they want to claim that they provide complete assistance.
We all know how Office 365 consists of (almost) all the tools required to increase productivity at work. However, as with any other piece of software, the widely used Microsoft product has its cons. A significant issue that worries users is data security or, rather, data vulnerability and whether the phishing protection measures are enough to ensure that their data is safe.
2020 has been a testing year for every industry. The COVID-19 restrictions paved the way for new trends like the WFH culture, remote workforces, and cloud-platforms. These changes have also affected the digital communication pathways, including email communication, in various ways. As these trends continue in 2021, there is a need for ramping up email security strategies accordingly.
2020 was a roller-coaster ride for most individuals and businesses, and everyone had to adapt to a new normal. The most notable change was in the way we work. While businesses started work from home policies, individuals started relying on electronic modes of transactions and communications. The increasing reliance on emails, unsurprisingly, led to a considerable hike in the number of email-based cyberattacks. While businesses are becoming more informed about the advantages of maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture, they are ignoring email security. This article will persuade them otherwise.
2020 has been a tumultuous year globally, with almost every industry suffering because of the pandemic. It has given rise to a revolutionary shift in the work culture as more people started working from home/remote locations. Emails have become the primary communication mode for everyone, from students to workers. Malicious actors have enjoyed a good outing under such circumstances, using spear-phishing, BEC, and ransomware to globally infiltrate enterprise networks.
Despite being aware of the various cyber risks, small businesses choose to ignore the need for a robust cybersecurity posture. They believe malicious actors only target large organizations and not them. However, lack of phishing protection or a business continuity strategy in the event of a cyber-attack leaves them at high risk. These cyberattacks can cost a business dearly if the IT security teams do not have an effective cybersecurity policy. The primary step in this direction is to address the challenges and vulnerabilities characteristic of an SME environment.
Malicious actors still prefer to apply social engineering strategies in messages to steal critical information such as passwords and financial details and make people perform tasks such as completing a wire transfer to their account or downloading malware. All such incidents ultimately jeopardize the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of any organization’s crucial information assets. Hence it calls for serious attention to email security and email continuity.
Microsoft forms a natural base of the computer world. Almost every big or small organization makes use of the tools provided by Microsoft for their daily operations. Initially, Microsoft Office had a few tools. But because they have the basics done right, the enterprise has now expanded to a lot of other utilities. Outlook 365 is such a tool from Microsoft that has above 150 million users in the corporate sector. The platform combines every facility that one would ever need for the smooth functioning of their business, such as storage of files, exchange of emails, etc. It also features seamless integration of OneDrive as well as SharePoint into one platform.
In today’s digital age, emails have become a crucial channel of communication for all organizations. Emails have various benefits, such as reliability, economy, and mobility. Since we exchange a lot of important and sensitive data through emails, it is no wonder that users are seeking the best and latest solutions to uphold the confidentiality of their email contents. Any exposure of the vital information to the wrong people is enough to cripple an organization’s functioning. And a single click on a malicious link is all it takes to compromise the confidential data of an enterprise. Hence, email security plays a crucial role in enterprise networking, and email encryption is the appropriate way to secure emails.
