Your email inbox is currently the #1 vector for successful cybersecurity attacks right now. Every employee in your organization that has an email address compounds this problem. Despite the fact that email has nearly been synonymous with scams and cybersecurity threats for decades, the average person is still very likely to fall for a trap that can get them and their company in hot water.
Let’s take a look at how your business can protect your company email inboxes, and prevent threats.
Why is Email Security Important?
Email is the most commonly used communication tool for businesses, making it a prime target for cybercriminals. According to the 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon, 96% of phishing attacks are carried out via email. This means that a single click on a malicious email can lead to a data breach, financial loss, or other serious consequences for your company.
In addition to external threats, internal threats also pose a risk to email security. Employees may accidentally or intentionally leak sensitive information through email, putting your company at risk of data loss or compliance violations.
Despite the fact that most users have seen decades of security threats and scams come in through email, cybercriminals still find a lot of success when it comes to causing harm with email-based threats.
Your Inbox is Likely Full of Sensitive Information
How often do you send or receive important sensitive information via email? Your inbox isn’t really designed to be a vault for storing information, but let’s face it, most people treat it as such. This means there is a lot of valuable, sensitive information hidden within your inbox. This includes financial information, customer data, and confidential company information. A data breach can result in financial loss, damage to your company's reputation, and legal consequences. By implementing email security measures, you can prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information and mitigate the risk of a data breach.
Just for fun, do a little test. Search your inbox for the last four digits of your Social Security number and see what comes up. Do any of the results display your complete Social Security number? That’s the case for most users.
Just think, if your own Social Security number can be found within your email inbox, how much other personal information do you happen to be sitting on? If your email is breached, all of that information can quickly fall into the wrong hands.
On top of that, if a criminal can get access to your email, they can send emails as you. This not only hurts your reputation, but it makes it very easy for them to continue to spread harm.
Compliance Requirements
Many industries have strict compliance regulations that require companies to protect sensitive information, including email communications. For example, the healthcare industry must comply with HIPAA regulations, while financial institutions must adhere to regulations such as PCI DSS. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and damage to your company's reputation. Implementing email security measures can help ensure compliance and protect your company from potential consequences.
Maintaining Business Continuity
In the event of a cyberattack or data breach, your company's email system may be compromised, leading to downtime and disruption of business operations. This can result in financial loss and damage to your company's reputation. By implementing email security measures, you can prevent or minimize the impact of a cyberattack and maintain business continuity.
Don’t Rely on a Single Layer of Protection
Most email platforms claim to come with built-in security, but most of them fall short when it comes to offering the kind of protection that your organization needs. Take Microsoft 365; the modern standard for cloud-hosted email. While it does come with several layers of security, it doesn’t offer sufficient response tools for threats that make it through the security systems, and threats DO slip through the cracks.
That’s going to be the case with virtually any email security solution. Yes, your organization absolutely needs something in place, but no system is infallible. To protect your business, you’ll need the following solutions as well:
Advanced Threat Detection
Managed email security providers use advanced threat detection technology to identify and block potential threats before they reach your company's email server. This includes scanning for viruses, malware, and phishing attempts. With a managed email security solution, you can have peace of mind knowing that your company's email communications are protected from the latest cyberthreats.
24/7 Monitoring and Response
Cyberattacks can happen at any time, and it's crucial to have round-the-clock monitoring and response to mitigate the impact of an attack. Managed email security providers offer 24/7 monitoring and response, ensuring that any potential threats are detected and addressed promptly. This reduces the risk of a data breach and minimizes downtime for your company's email system.
Data Loss Prevention
Data loss prevention (DLP) is a crucial aspect of email security. It involves identifying and protecting sensitive information from being leaked or stolen. Managed email security providers use DLP technology to scan outgoing emails for sensitive information and prevent it from being sent. This helps ensure compliance with industry regulations and protects your company from potential data breaches.
Scalability and Flexibility
As your company grows, your email security needs may change. Managed email security providers offer scalable solutions that can grow with your business. This means you can easily add or remove users, adjust security measures, and adapt to changing business needs without disrupting your email system.
User Security
This one is going to be pretty simple, but you’d be surprised how often it ends up being a problem.
Your users need to be forced to use strong, secure passwords, and users need to be trained to not use the same password for multiple accounts. Furthermore, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and email encryption will aid in preventing unauthorized access to email from either end.
User Training
Last, and arguably most importantly, training your end users to identify and properly handle cybersecurity threats will go a long way when it comes to protecting your business. At Dresner Group, we offer phishing simulation to help reduce the risks from various email-based threats.
This training shouldn’t just be a one-time event, but rather be ongoing and refreshed over time as trends and the threat landscape change.
Don’t Get Caught with Insecure Email
If your organization is looking to migrate your existing email solution to a new one, or you need to meet specific compliance requirements, Dresner Group can help. We’ve been serving the Maryland area for over two decades, protecting businesses and helping organizations like yours do more with their technology. Give us a call at (410) 531-6727 to get started.
