What Are The Best Practices To Have Secure Email?

There is a lot to consider when it comes to email phishing attempts, fake attachments, and compliance issues. We are here to suggest methods to get you out of hacker attacks.

What is email security?

Email security refers to a set of techniques and strategies for safeguarding the email account and the content of individual messages.

Email security is an essential component of your overall security. You may believe that because you aren’t emailing secrets, you don’t need to be concerned about who has access to the data.

However, hackers can use your email account as a backdoor to hack into the wider network, not just for information.

How can you detect email threats?

First and foremost, be careful with any messages that require payment. Double-check the authenticity of the company email address if the business email appears to be from a credible authority. Don’t trust an incoming email that seems to come from an unfamiliar address or from someone you don’t know.

Transferring money or paying with bitcoin are the most common ways for scammers and hackers to steal your money, thus you should be cautious while utilizing these payment methods. Of course, you’d never open attachments from unknown senders.

Pay attention to the spelling and grammar as well. Any email requesting personal information is nearly always a scam.

Finally, be wary of emails that claim to contain information about you that is not relevant to you. These attacks are designed to make you feel anxious so that you can quickly correct the situation. This information is not available to spammers who make such claims and then demand payment. Don’t be alarmed and take your time when you receive them.

In addition, you should use an SPF record to protect your domain from spoofing and avoid having your outbound emails labelled as spam. SPF also prevents spammers from spoofing and phishing emails by impersonating your domain or organization. Use the SPF record checker tool to double-check that everything is in order. Check easydmarc.com for more help.

What are the most effective methods for securing your email?

Any business that handles sensitive information can’t afford to risk their email security. As a result, they must take prompt precautions to protect their email.

1. Email encryption

The actual content of an email is turned into an incomprehensible jumble by encryption, and the original message is only exposed after the recipient’s verification. As a result, even if you send an email to the wrong address, the recipient will not receive it.

To encrypt your mails, you can utilize secure email hosting services or web-based encryption services. Encryption features are built-in to Gmail, Microsoft Outlook/Office 365, Android, and webmail.  Your email provider’s connection, as well as any stored, cached, or archived emails, should all be encrypted.

2. Protect your email attachments

Your outgoing email attachments are likely to include a lot more important data than the email itself. Even if the email is encrypted, you should encrypt any attachments as well.

This prevents not just hacking during the transmission, but also saving or forwarding attachments to unauthorized staff or outsiders.

3. Attach a legal disclaimer

Never assume that a recipient understands that the information they’ve received is confidential. To avoid an awkward situation, include a disclaimer at the top of each email that contains sensitive information.

For health records, legal contracts, financial documents, and confidential industry information, a disclaimer is essential. Disclaimers are, in fact, frequently required by law. While disclaimers have significant accepted restrictions, they can perform better than you might think in a legal situation. The key is to make sure your disclaimer is both relevant and approved by the compliance regulators in your business.

4. Assist employees in maintaining compliance

Cyber threats will penetrate your organization regardless of whether you have the strongest security policy or the most secure encryption. Without proper training, cyber threats will infiltrate your firm. People who have received workplace awareness training are more likely to be vigilant.

Review every piece of compliance regulation that pertains to your industry. Despite the fact that health and legal authorities are subject to severe regulations, every industry is required to comply with a security requirement. These rules are continuously changing, so make sure you have a system in place to stay up to date.

While the government may have its own set of standards, your company should have its own email practices as well. You should select a set of policies that address a number of concerns simultaneously.

Making a broad rule and then adding exceptions is sometimes easier than writing out each prohibition. Make sure that all emails are connected to business and that they are never used for personal reasons.

5. Purchase a mechanism to prevent data loss

Taking security measures is necessary to prevent email data loss, but all of these extra steps may slow down your workflow. To boost security without wasting your employees’ valuable time, consider investing in a data loss prevention system (DLP) that controls all sensitive data in your network, including emails.

A DLP system identifies and monitors all information in use or in motion on your network, as well as data at rest in your storage area or on any hardware device.

6. Use two-factor authentication (2FA)

Passwords that are difficult to guess are a useful deterrent. Small-business hackers, on the other hand, are skilled enough to get over even the most basic security measures. To increase a company’s email security, consider adopting two-factor authentication.

In addition to their login and password, users must have a third piece of information, which is usually a PIN or a code sent via cellphone. These systems are used in cloud-based email servers, and they’re a good way for businesses to safeguard their end-to-end access points, such as email.

7. Operating System should be updated (OS)

A person’s operating system is still vulnerable to hacking if it is not updated. As a result, make sure all of your operating systems are up to date. Email data breaches can have severe effects on a company’s public image and profits if they go undiscovered.

8. Never open attachments that seem suspicious

Never open or download attachments from a source unfamiliar to you. If you weren’t expecting an attachment, double-check the message with the sender, even if you know him. Criminals commonly take advantage of your online address book and send you an email posing as someone with whom you have previously emailed.

9. Turn on spam filter

Spam screening can be turned off to avoid missing important email messages. Despite the fact that the filter does not appear to be much of a protector, it provides good protection against potential threats. So, turn the filter back on!

10. Secure passwords

You should update your passwords on a frequent basis and use different passwords for each account to lessen your overall risk. Although third-party solutions can be handy for personal use, we still recommend writing down and saving your passwords offline.

11. Use a reputable antivirus application

Always use an antivirus program that is up to date. You are exposed to ransomware if you browse the web without an antivirus that protects both your computer and your email. Criminals can acquire access to your information and breach your privacy if you don’t use antivirus software.

Conclusion

You will considerably lower your possibilities of data breaches if you can effectively execute all of our recommendations. Incoming and outgoing emails will both be safeguarded, which is a huge relief for everyone