Guide To Know Everything About Email Security

If you are worried about your data being stolen or your network becoming compromised by ransomware, you should make sure to secure your systems against these threats. However, e mail protection is often ignored when discussing the security of a network.
 
We have gathered some advice on email protection. We recommend that you read through this guide. Though we have some technological solutions, the best email security method is to use common sense. 

1.    Use 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) 

Two-factor authentication (2FA) refers to the use of two separate pieces of information to login to your account. After you enter your username and password, you will receive a text message with a four-digit code that can be used to complete the login process.

This small, simple move strengthens your email for greater privacy. To be able to login to your email, the would-be intruder will need to obtain:
•    Your username/email address 
•    Your password 
•    Your mobile phone 
•    The ability to unlock your phone
 
With Microsoft 365 or Gmail, there are ways to easily allow a two-step verification process. Otherwise, contact your IT department for suggestions.

2.    Create a Unique, Strong and Long Password 

Often the oldest answers are the best ones, e.g. to protect your email, the first move is to select a secure password. Always use a secure password, and never use the password for anything else (like Netflix). It should always have the following:
•    capital letters
•    numbers 
•    special characters (such as £ or %). 
If you are having trouble recalling your passwords, try using a dedicated password manager to organise and autofill your passwords. OnePassword and LastPass and popular choices for password managers.

3.    Have a separate business and personal email accounts 

You should be specific with your staff about what form of personal/business email use is and is not acceptable. Even though employees are permitted to connect with friends via email, they should not use business email for this reason. In order to encourage this, use company mobile phones so that work and home life can be more easily separated. This will enhance the overall protection of your emails and is beneficial to the privacy of your employees.
 
  
4.    Be Wary of Potential Scam or “Phishing” Emails 

Phishing emails are emails that are from a legitimate source but are in reality a fake sent by an attacker. They may contain links to malicious software, fake websites, or they may try to exfiltrate sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted business partner. Stay ahead of the techniques these attackers use and learn how to spot a phishing email. Look for warning signs like:
•    Bad spelling
•    Bad grammar
•    Offers, deals or prizes that seem ‘Too good to be true’
•    Limited time offers or emails pressuring you to “act now”
•    Emails without signatures that should have them (like ones from a business)

Phishing attempts are often sent in bulk to 1000s of addresses at a time or are sent to one individual employee who is considered a high-value target. Targeted phishing emails are known as "spearphishing" emails.
 
5.    Scan email attachments before opening them

Invest in an email virus scanner to check all email attachments for viruses. There are tools like MImecast which allow you to open attachments in a cloud-based "sandbox" this lets you check they're safe before they ever reach your inbox.  This is how to keep your email safe if there are problems with malware.

6.    Have an effective spam filter set up on your account.

Make sure your spam filter is enabled and that it is turned on to the maximum strength. Many modern web-based email clients such as Google's Gmail have very powerful spam filters activated by default which can effectively block most spam emails.

 
7.    Be careful what data you access over public WiFI 

When out and about, it is tempting to view emails while on insecure networks, but this can leave your emails open to be intercepted via an insecure network. It is dangerous to use public WIFI as you can never be sure who is watching it and whether it is a monitored connection. If this is an issue your staff face frequently, consider setting up your own Virtual Private Network (VPN) to ensure they have secure access to your network.

By now you should be better informed about email security and ways to secure your email.   Share this article with your employees and colleagues, as it only requires one person making the wrong decision to do harm to the entire company.
  
If you are worried about the integrity of your email systems or your network as whole and would like more information about various solutions like encrypted email, please contact a managed IT services provider who specialises in cybersecurity.