90% of cyber security attacks start with a simple email. Why?

Imagine this: You’re sitting in your office, sipping your morning coffee, going through your emails. Everything seems routine until you stumble upon an alarming message from your bank. 

You click the link and log in to your bank… but something feels wrong.

You go back to your email and look again. Your heart skips a beat as you realize it’s not from your bank at all… it’s a cleverly disguised phishing scam. This is where criminals pretend to be someone else. They’ve sent you to a fake bank login page and you’ve just handed over your banking login details without even realizing it…

Now your business account has been compromised, and the criminals are already logging into your real bank account.

This scenario might sound like the plot of a dramatic novel, but unfortunately, it’s a reality many businesses face every day. With all the modern communication tools we have, most businesses are still overly reliant on email. This 50-year-old tool refuses to go away.

Criminals aren’t just sending you fake emails, they are also trying to break into your inbox.

If you think about it, having access to someone’s email gives you a huge amount of power. You can reset their passwords… see their purchase history and travel plans… and even pretend to be them while emailing other people. This is why criminals are obsessed with your email. 90% of cyber security attacks on businesses like yours start in your inbox.

So how do you prevent one of these nightmare scenarios?

Choose a secure email service

The first step in strengthening your email security is to choose a reliable and secure email service provider. Look for providers that offer robust encryption protocols, secure authentication methods, and comprehensive spam filtering capabilities. You should also consider solutions that offer advanced threat detection and prevention features to safeguard against threats like phishing scams and malware attacks.

Implement strong authentication

Passwords are often the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your email accounts. Make sure your employees use strong, unique passwords for their email accounts.

Ideally give all your team a password manager. This can generate long random passwords, remember them, and securely input them so you don’t have to. Better security with less work for humans is smart. 

Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. MFA requires people to provide additional verification, such as a one-time code sent to your mobile device, before accessing your accounts. This makes it significantly harder for attackers to gain unauthorized access.

Educate your team

Your employees are your first line of defense against email- based threats, but they can also be your weakest link if they’re not adequately trained. Provide comprehensive training on email security best practices, including how to recognize phishing attempts, avoid clicking on suspicious links or attachments, and report suspicious emails to your IT support provider. Regularly reinforce these training sessions to ensure that your team remains vigilant and up to date on the latest threats and tactics used by cyber criminals.

Secure mobile devices

Many of your employees use smartphones and tablets to access their work email accounts remotely. So, it’s important to make sure these devices are also adequately secured with security measures like passcodes, biometric authentication, and remote wipe capabilities in case of loss or theft. You may also consider using mobile device management (MDM) to enforce security policies and monitor how devices are being used, to prevent unauthorized access to corporate data.

Regularly update and patch

Keep all software up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Cyber criminals often exploit known vulnerabilities to gain access to systems and networks, so regularly applying patches is essential for maintaining secure email. Consider implementing automated ways to streamline the patching process and ensure that critical updates are applied promptly.