Cyber-attacks and data breaches were not a familiar occurrence as they are in today’s situation. Cyber-attacks have been one of the top concerns for businesses. No matter what size of your organisation, anyone is prone to an attack. 

A staggering 667% of Covid-19 themed phishing attacks have occurred since March 2020. What’s  more, 94% of malware was delivered via emails. Now that we are all working from home, it’s important for businesses to start focusing on the security of emails.

What is Email Security?

It is a term that states different procedures and techniques for protecting an email account, content and business communication against unauthorized access, data loss and cyber-attacks like phishing, Ransomware etc. 

Email is the common entry point to spread malware, spam and phishing attacks. Cyber criminals create personalised content to lure the victims on clicking links or attachments to inject malware and get hold of sensitive information.

Email was designed to be as open and accessible as possible. It allows people in organizations to communicate with each other and with people outside the organizations. 

The problem is that email is not secure.

By understanding the most common email threats, you’re better able to set up protections and policies to help ensure the email security of your business.

What are the common threats to email systems? 

  1. Malware: Malicious software designed with intent of damaging devices, stealing data, and generally causing a mess.
  2. Spam: Unsolicited commercial email, commonly referred to as spam is the sending of unwanted bulk email messages with commercial purpose.
  3. Phishing: Phishing emails are sent out in masses to a number of people in an attempt to “fish” for sensitive information by posing as a reputable source. Phishing attacks commonly disguise itself as Banks, credit card providers, delivery firms, law enforcement, government or health authorities. Phishing emails often have legitimate looking logos attached.
  4. Spear Phishing: Spear Phishing is a much more focused type of phishing attack. This type of attack targets a specific organisation or individual to get access to their sensitive information. Behind every Spear phishing attack, the cyber criminal has done their homework on the target. Unlike spam, Spear Phishing attacks appear to come from trusted and known sources
  5. Social engineering: All of the techniques mentioned above fall under the category of Social engineering. Social engineering is the art of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving someone in order to gain confidential information or money. To deceive the target, cyber criminals mine for information from social media sites, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, and other sites will provide a wealth of information about the organisation’s personnel. The type of information that can be found includes contact information, connections, friends and details of on-going business deals, photos and more.
  6. Unintentional acts by authorized users: Not all security threats are intentional. Authorized users may inadvertently send proprietary or other sensitive information via email, exposing the organization to embarrassment or legal action.

From remote workers to business owners, security is important for all. To keep your inboxes safe from email borne threats, read through the best practices for email security.

With this write-up, we have introduced different types of email threats which will make easy for you to adapt the best practices to ensure your email is secured