Many of us use email every single day, be it for work or personal use, and our inboxes grow increasingly cluttered by the hour. They house everything from client requests and the bosses’ occasional tongue-lashing to scuba diving holiday packages and cheap chew toys for our pets; such is the wonderful world of electronic mail.
But, lurking in the deep, far more malicious agents are at play.
You see, your business’s sensitive information is a highly valuable commodity, so much so that cyber criminals will stop at nothing to get their grubby mitts on it. They are unrelenting and tireless in their endeavour, ever-evolving and constantly adapting to sidestep the security measures you may have in place. In fact, 91% of all data breaches start with a phishing attack (a targeted, malicious email attack). It is therefore crucial that you are equally as agile and able to act before they do to ensure the safety of your prized possession.
1. Use a Strong, Unique Password
Now, this may come as somewhat of a surprise, but ‘Password’, ‘Password123’ or any other variation isn’t going to keep your systems safe for long. Nor is a password with information pertaining to your pets, favourite sports team or any other info that can be easily found online. To ensure your password is secure, we advise following Microsoft’s password policy recommendations (which should be enforced across your entire organisation). In essence, these are:
- Ensure your password is at least eight characters in length.
- Ensure your password is easy to remember, but not the same or similar to one you use on any other account.
- Don’t use a single word, or common passwords (such as “password”, “admin” or “iloveyou”).
- Make your password hard to guess, even by people who know a lot about you. Avoid using the names and birthdays of your friends and family, your favourite bands, and phrases you like to use.
2. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
A sure-fire way to bolster your email safety is by introducing extra barriers for cyber criminals to navigate. By implementing MFA, or authenticators, across employee email accounts, you are giving malicious agents extra work to do in order to gain access. These methods of security also tend to require a physical element, for example using Face ID or Touch ID to verify your account. These are far trickier defensive measures for cyber criminals to crack, thus strengthening your email safety.
3. Be Aware of Phishing Emails
Phishing emails are currently one the largest threats posed to organisations.
This is in part down to the sheer volume of attempted attacks, but they are also extremely effective.
As phishing emails can be targeted, relying on information that is easily accessible on the web, they are more difficult to identify.
It is therefore essential that employees undergo Security Awareness Training, so they are better equipped to identify, report and prevent phishing attacks from unfolding. Training is essential; after all, your employees act as the first line of defense.
4. Remember to Update Your Password
So, you’ve set your unique password and it’s looking like a Wi-Fi key – job done, right? Wrong. While strong passwords are more difficult to detect, the more they are used, the more susceptible they are to a leak. It is crucial to change your password every 6 months or so, just to further bolster your organisation’s defenses.
5. Be Cool, Calm and Cautious
Not trying to induce an existential crisis, but be wary when opening emails from e-addresses outside of your contacts list. This is not a fearmongering campaign, and not everybody is out to get you, but it’s important to have wits about you when scrolling through your inboxes. Steer clear of hyperbolic headlines such as “You’ve won an all-expenses-paid holiday to the Bahamas… just click THIS LINK”. Unlikely you’re off to the picturesque Caribbean Island, likely you’re being scammed.
Boost Your Email Safety with Tekspace, Today
Your email safety is paramount to the success of your business. If you fail to prioritise your email safety, you could fall afoul of cyber crime, resulting in significant financial and reputational damages.
By partnering with the experts at Tekspace, you can rest assured that your email safety is in good hands. Get in touch today to find out how we can help.
