Top Email Security Risks to Watch Out For

The digital world is making it easier to deliver and access services than ever before. But with that technological progress comes even greater security risks to our websites and email systems.

If you’re unfamiliar with what email security threats exist, below are five of the most common ones to watch out for.

Phishing

Phishing is a criminal tactic that coerces individuals to give up sensitive information such as bank account numbers, passwords, tax codes, or social security numbers. These emails are growing in sophistication as some will include links, logos, and graphics that appear to be legitimate. However, clicking on these links will often lead you to a malicious site. In some cases, individuals are caught unaware, and they give up their information before it’s too late.  

The best form of protection is to educate your employees about these types of dangers so that they remain vigilant. Staff should be wary of new contacts when checking their emails, and they should be trained on the key signs to look out for. It’s also worth investing in a surveillance network that monitors communication in and out of the company.

Spoofing

Spoofing is like phishing in that it is designed to get the user to give up sensitive information. However, spoofing works by falsifying the heading of the email to make it look as though it’s come from inside the company. Again, educating employees is a good deterrent, as is investing in email security or platforms such as Secure Web Gateway.

Domain Squatting (Cybersquatting)

Cybersquatting occurs when a party registers, uses, or sells a domain name with the intent of profiting from someone else’s trademark. While there have been gray areas in the legislation around cybersquatting, it is a form of fraud and it needs to be monitored. The best protection here is to ensure that you register your domain right away, purchase domain ownership protection, and register a trademark.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a form of cyberattack where access to a computer is prevented until a sum of money is paid. In many ransomware cases, cyber-attackers encrypt company data so that it can no longer be accessed. Unsurprisingly, this creates a difficult situation for businesses as they must sacrifice money or lose their data to settle the matter.

Preventing ransomware is simple and straightforward. Make sure you are training your staff and educating them regularly. Also, you should conduct frequent software updates, back up your data regularly, and install strong anti-virus software and anti-malware.

Directory Harvest Attacks

Direct Harvest Attacks (DHA) are email threats that aim to directly access the email database attached to a company domain. These kinds of emails can target both personal and commercial information, making it a big threat to an organization.

The best way to protect your business from DHA attacks is to use a mail protection service (MPS). It’s worth consulting professionals about how to set this up, but once it’s up and running, MPS will ensure that your IT team is alerted if someone is trying to breach email security.