Emails have become one of the most convenient means of communication in the digital age. If you own a smartphone or a laptop, you have sent at least one email in your life. While they have an endless array of advantages, emails are still a vulnerable medium used by malicious actors to take advantage of people and steal their data. That’s why today we’re talking about email security solutions.
To understand email security solutions and why we need them, we first need to know why emails are vulnerable. Cyber actors can use them to present you with an urgent scenario that calls for action, lest we risk your presence on a platform or even your savings in a bank. Most people act on impulse when faced with urgent emails, so talking about the outcomes and solutions is necessary to stay safe.
Threats to Email Security
According to most email security services, the prospect of financial compensation is what drives most cyberattacks. The methods used to get the data to complete these attacks are diverse, but they all have a common trait: they rely on deception. When malicious actors send their bait, they only need to find one person gullible enough to fall for it. The following are some of the most common threats you can face online:
Ransomware
Many email protection services consider this attack type one of the most vicious forms of cyberattack. A hacker uses encryption malware to take over a file, machine, or even a complete network in a ransomware attack. They hold all data at ransom, asking the user or company to pay money to recover their information. Federal agencies and security experts recommend not paying up and taking preventive actions instead.
Spyware
Whether you’re a government agency or a CEO concerned about your corporate email security, spyware can cause harm. It’s a type of malware that runs in the background and gets access to sensitive data. It grants access to cyber attackers and lets them dig into your files. It’s one of the trickiest forms of malware since it’s hard to detect.
Phishing
Any email protection service will let you know that phishing is the most common cyberattack used online. According to Zdnet.com, over 3 billion phishing emails are sent daily worldwide. With phishing emails, malicious actors try to establish communication with a victim by posing as a trusted entity or just inserting a bad link in an email for the target to click and give up personal or work information.
Spam
Spam email accounts for 30% of all internet traffic daily. A spam attack is a continuous bombardment of an inbox with junk mail. According to email security solution companies, the attack is designed to break the filter system you have in place. Spam attacks mainly result in other attack types aimed at obtaining crucial data.
BEC
Business Email Compromise is an attack targeting high-profile members of an organisation. The goal is to trick targeted victims into sending money or sharing sensitive information. The attacks have many vectors: they’re used to trick vendors or business partners or collect fake invoices. BEC it’s the best reason to pursue business email security compliance.
Popular Email Security Solutions
Now that we’ve covered the attacks anyone can face, it’s time to discuss email security solutions. Many of these consist of using base software to protect your inbox. Many reputable web hosting companies also offer these for all their hosted email accounts. They include a diverse catalogue of tools according to your needs.
Spam Filters
One of the most basic email security solutions is to set up spam filters. It’s true, they can be a nag at times, but they’re also efficient in filtering the messages landing in your inbox. A solid spam filter can help you block all spam messages regardless of how intricate they are. The same filters block all emails coming from blacklisted URLs. Stop the flow of malicious messages at their core, and you won’t have to deal with them in your business email infrastructure.
Antivirus Protection
Every network worth its salt uses a good antivirus. Ask any email protection service, and they’ll tell you antiviruses are some of the best email security solutions. A solid antivirus can scan all your messages, no matter if they’re incoming or outgoing. They can search for faulty attachments, malicious content, infected links, etc. They can prevent and block the presence of malware in your system before it infects any files.
Anomaly Detection
Anomaly detection is a step up in business email security. These are tools designed to detect more sophisticated attacks, so they are a tad more expensive than standard email security products. Anomaly detection tools use telemetry and artificial intelligence to detect any abnormal behaviour in your network. The algorithm of this software can see if these discrepancies are related to spam attacks or any form of phishing.
DMARC Implementation
DMARC Policy for Email Security
Nothing stops spam and malicious messages like getting your email domain authenticated with DMARC. The Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance protocol is a system that works on top of SPF and DKIM policies. Its primary function is to verify all authentic messages sent from your domain. Most people don’t know if they have a proper DMARC setup. You can use a DMARC record checker to ensure your website is protected. If the check returns negative results, it’s advisable to set up the protocol correctly.
Anti-Phishing Training
One of the best email security solutions is to take preventive action. Your company can increase protection against cyberattacks if you train all your employees in anti-phishing measures. Teach them about email safety best practices, and make sure they understand cloud email security solutions. Ensure they know how to notice spoofed emails and pay attention to small details. This training should be ongoing with frequent updates since cyber attackers constantly evolve their methods.
Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR)
Content disarm and reconstruction may seem like a high-end security measure as far as email security solutions go. Still, it’s a secure email solution for small businesses and big companies alike. CDR software runs a sanitization protocol on all incoming and outgoing messages. It detects potentially malicious messages, breaking down any suspicious attachments it might have. The software then proceeds to rebuild it into a safer version that aligns with your company’s security parameters.
Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)
Remote browser isolation is one of the most secure email solutions for small businesses. RBI users isolate any potentially dangerous message in an external browser. This separates security risks and keeps them contained from your business network. RBI software acts like a strong filter that only shows clean content, even from malicious websites.
Data Encryption
The use of encryption is considered one of the ultimate email security solutions. If your company trades with a lot of data, you can’t allow it to be exposed. You can’t let anyone have even the slightest chance to peek around your organisation’s dealings. To solve this, you need to use encryption software. There are many ways to use encryption; you can find cloud email security solutions and get the software to encrypt all outgoing messages. You only need to choose one that suits your company’s needs and requirements.
How to Choose the Best Option?
Now that you know about some of the most effective email security solutions, the most complicated part is choosing one that works for your company. First of all, you need to understand what you want to secure, get the size of its scope, and what goals you want to achieve.
Most companies need most of the solutions we talked about above. The internet is full of scalable and user-friendly secure email solutions for small businesses and big companies alike.
For example, if you want an affordable DMARC option, you can sign up for EasyDMARC’s platform. No matter the scope, you’ll be able to receive a reasonable solution and extend the reach of your messages by increasing your deliverability rate.
