Email is still a core communication tool and is likely to continue in both a personalized and professionalized manner. However, as it enters broader use, so do vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. Over the years, email security has evolved as an essential part of protecting sensitive information and ensuring business persistence.
In this post, we will discuss why an email security strategy is the first line of defence against any form of cyber-attack and what you need to do to improve your email security posture.
Email is everywhere in the digital world
Now with more than 300 billion emails sent every day across the globe, we have become dependent on this form of digital communication, which has shaped the way we interact with each other, share information and conduct business. It is heavily dependent on even organisations for various services like internal communication, customer service and data exchange. Most cybercriminals prefer to target Office 365 because of its wide use.
Unfortunately, the truth is that email is one of the most common ways cybercriminals gain access to systems. By that, I mean the scams in question leverage vulnerabilities in email systems, including phishing scams with legitimate-looking links or documents that contain malware-laden attachments masquerading under fake email addresses. This means there is a lot on the line for companies; This would put customer data, intellectual property or even worse, the entire mobility of the organisation at risk with a single successful attack.
Email security is a must for something so ubiquitous yet fragile; It is the first line of defence for protecting people and the firm from an ever more sophisticated variety of threats.
How Email Drives Cyberattacks
To understand why email security is vital, you must first understand how email is used in cyberattacks. Email is one of the most targeted platforms by cybercriminals, as emails are easily accessible and highly dependent on human behaviour. More often, the human element (the busy employee that clicks on a rogue link) ends up being the weakest piece of any security posture.
Phishing is one of the most common types of email attacks. The attacks usually involve phishing emails or messages that are designed to coax recipients to disclose confidential information, such as their passwords, for instance, or even credit card numbers. The adaptability is more likely to be what separates phishing. The more detailed messages the attackers prepare look like they are coming from a real sender, making it very difficult for anyone who has never been trained to identify these signs.
However, email is also used for the distribution of malware and ransomware. Malware attachments, sent as invoices, contracts or other seemingly innocuous reproductions of standard documents, can affect a company with harmful programs that may trigger data breaches or financial extortion.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are yet another emerging threat. One of the most common methods cybercriminals use is posing as CEOs or top executives, with fake emails asking for wire transfers or sensitive information. Since 2016, the FBI claimed that BEC scams have led to $43 billion in losses worldwide.
The head that connects all of these attack vectors is pretty clear: email’s open and trusted nature makes it the ultimate Bayesian challenge. This fundamental insecurity of email highlights the importance of solid email protection.
Effective Email Security Begins with a Strong Foundation
Email security employs multiple layers and a blend of technological solutions, as well as user-oriented education, to protect email systems from unauthorised access, data leaks, and impersonation attacks. Yes, we cannot afford to be too 1-dimensional, and it is different for everybody, but let us get back to the basics.
Authentication: The First Layer on Email Protection Cake. Emails can be authenticated using specific email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), which check if the email came from a genuine sender as claimed. These different technologies help prevent attacks by making it impossible for attackers to impersonate the email domain in an attempt to trick recipients.
Encryption is the next important layer of the defence mechanism. Email contents are kept available only to the sender and recipient with end-to-end encryption. It prevents the email from being intercepted during transit.
For email, these would be the protection of spam and malware filters, which are equally important components implemented on one end to provide some reinforcement to your systems. Such programs search for telltale signs of suspicious activity in incoming emails, such as suspicious attachments or links, and nip any potential dangers in the bud.
They serve as a good base to keep others out, but they are hardly the entire answer. To be sure, human conduct remains the top issue for email security. Clicking on a single compromised link can easily bypass even the most elaborate network security patches(activities) and then move. This is why user awareness and training are a fundamental part of any email security approach.
The Human Factor in Email Security
So an email security plan has to address the human part. After all, most cybercriminals exploit human error here: an email will only be opened with the intention to disseminate Phishing or Ransomware if it makes sense to educate users about email threats in addition to creating any other technical safeguards.
That is why phishing awareness training is the most effective way to reduce this risk. Train employees to detect warning signs of a would-be email trap, such as sudden emails asking for secure data or from an atypical sender or containing attachments they were not expecting. These lessons are all reinforced during our regular training sessions and simulated phishing exercises.
Another tip is to foster an air of caution and suspicion in the office. Adding that sense of ownership to email security by constantly stressing the need for employees to verify any suspicious-looking emails, to authenticate critical requests in some other way and report anything fishy helps them feel responsible towards securing their inbox.
Something but simple and strong (pardon the pun): 2FA. Although a nefarious actor has your email and password to log in, they still need that second factor of authentication — such as a code on your mobile device — adding just one more barrier. This simple yet very effective practice was his way to mitigate the risk of unauthorised entry.
Ultimately, email security is as empowering for the user (the Zero Trust for humans) as it is a technological leap forward. By doing these things, organisations can have a stronger line of defence against cyber attacks.
Consequences of Neglecting Email Security
Email security is one of those areas where the risks cannot be overemphasised. A breach has implications far beyond financial loss — reputational damage, legal consequences, and operational disruption are just a few examples.
In 2017, an even larger phishing campaign was deployed against Google and Facebook, for instance. The scammers posed as a real vendor and were successful in stealing more than $100 million from the companies. This was an alarm bell for the tech sector – here it is, apparently, a perfect example of just how all-highly available email-based attacks have become.
The 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is another infamous example. The hackers stole private emails and made the information public, impacting public opinion during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The breach demonstrated how email-based attacks compromised not only businesses but also political processes.
These are a few examples of the collateral damage that can ensue with email security. Failure to address the issue — in addition to enabling malicious actors — can jeopardise trust between organisations, stockholders, clients and broader society.
What the Email Security of the Future Will Look Like
The changing nature of cyber threats means that attackers are using increasingly advanced techniques to get around traditional defences. That means your email security approach should evolve so that it is adaptive — acknowledging the challenges and risks of today, while incorporating new technologies.
The future of email security will likely be heavily dependent on artificial intelligence (AI). Leveraging this information allows AI tools to find email “needles in the haystack”, catch more phishing attempts, and prevent malicious messages from being delivered. Machine learning algorithms also support the ongoing exercise of improvement, as more threats enter the world.
Another paradigm shift is zero-trust architecture (ZTA). That means you should only have to give users and systems the minimum access they need to do their job, rather than granting them unrestricted trust. In terms of email security, ZTA inherently reduces the likelihood and scope of internal threats or unauthorised access.
But, regardless of the sophistication of technology that evolves, the basic principles of email security cannot change. Authentication, encryption, user awareness, and active defence will forever form the backbone of an efficient defence strategy.
Final Thoughts
Fine, email security is indeed the front line of cyber attack defence. The importance of DR cannot be emphasised enough, given its key function in protecting vital data, keeping businesses up and running, and averting financial loss. It takes a layered approach of best-in-breed technology and user awareness to effectively secure emails.
Whether you are an individual or organization, keeping email security on top of your priority list is how you can beat the cybercriminals at their own game. Through the fortification of defences, implementation of a culture that is aware and changes to a morphing threat landscape, email security can be more mature, ensuring its utility in our increasingly digital world.
