Internet security

How to Ensure Secure Email: Essential Tips for Busy Professionals

January 30, 2023

8 minutes of reading

E-mail is one of the most important tools today, being present in activities within the corporate and business routine. There are several activities that require the use of this tool, and for this reason, ensuring secure email becomes a priority for companies and their employees.

The biggest problem with using email is that, although it is extremely functional, it is not very secure . According to the ESET Security Report 2022 survey, in 2022 alone there was a 226% increase in phishing attacks , which use email as the main tool.

To help resolve this, there are some essential precautions that help bring more protection to the exchange of information and your resources.

Its lack of security is due to the various intermediate channels through which messages pass, such as email providers and clients until they reach the end user. But the main email security problem is directly related to user behavior .

As it is a tool with a low security standard, email has been used as a gateway to various threats.

How to make your email secure?

Given these problems, you may be asking yourself: What is the best way to keep your email secure?

There are many people and users in the cyber environment who have malicious intentions, making protection tools much more than just a detail: they are essential to guarantee more privacy and security for this messaging tool.

One of the most common and also very “successful”, the phishing attack uses email as its main resource for applying scams, spreading malware, viruses and spam , and many other traps that can harm information security. .

Using social engineering, these criminals are able to deceive users and make them provide confidential information that favors the application of scams and undermines the company's security. Learn more about how this strategy works in the video below:

Main threats that arrive via email

As we have seen, email can be the gateway to various scams and threats, damaging business continuity, information security and a company's financial health . Below are some of the most common threats that can be deployed through this tool:

SPAM

Spam is an old problem in the digital environment. We have all been attacked at least once by this type of message, which in addition to being extremely uncomfortable, can mask some trap or dangerous strategy for the business.

Generally used for advertising purposes, spam can leave the inbox full of unsolicited and unnecessary emails, and can also be a channel for promoting cyber attacks.

For this reason, it is very important to be very careful when opening emails from unknown senders or with fake promotions that are too good to be true.

Phishing

As we said previously, phishing is one of the main traps that can arrive via email . Unlike spam, phishing does not just use advertising to reach users. This strategy can come in the form of false billing messages, emails from known recipients that have been hacked, among other scams, with the main objective being to trick the user into providing confidential information .

This criminally collected data can not only harm your security, but also contribute to the application of financial scams.

Malware

Malware refers to applications or software that can harm the security of a company's devices and networks. In this sense, applications that can cause some type of problem for information, such as viruses, trojans, spyware , among others, are considered malware.

These applications are used according to the cybercriminal's objective, whether to steal access data, credit card information, corrupt valuable data, prevent user access, among others.

This strategy, as we mentioned previously , is used by cybercriminals to deceive and deceive their victim , and is widely used in phishing scams. Through it, criminals are able to efficiently disguise their intentions and make users provide confidential information.

Social engineering can be a great danger for users, from the most layman to the most experienced.

How to keep your email secure

Now that we understand how email can be used to deploy threats and encourage different types of scams, we need to find a solution that helps make the tool safer for all users .

To help you, we have put together some essential tips that can make your email a safer and more reliable tool to be used within the corporate environment:

Stronger passwords

Although it is a precaution that is disclosed quite frequently, there are still many users who use very simple or easily guessed passwords in their email tools.

Another common mistake is using a single password to access different applications or services , thus making the cybercriminal's job easier. It is very important that there is guidance to create increasingly stronger and more complex .

To do this, a combination of numbers, special characters and upper and lower case letters can be used to make it difficult to guess and make your email more secure.

We have a complete guide for creating and managing users more securely . Click here and download for free!

Two-factor authentication

Depending on your email provider or service, it is possible to introduce two-factor authentication, which is nothing more than an extra layer of security for login and services.

To do this, you can use a cell phone number, a USB device, token or other tool, depending on the email service used. With the help of this extra input code, the user can make the email secure and prevent it from being hacked by cybercriminals easily.

Cryptography

Information encryption is a feature that helps keep email more secure and ensure the privacy of information. Depending on the email service, encryption is already built in, as is the case with Gmail , which is Google's email.

However, in this case, the encryption service only works when using Google applications or its browser, Chrome . Another detail is that both users must be Gmail users for encryption to work. In any case, it is essential to check whether your email service supports this functionality.

Tools to block viruses and malware

Through phishing scams, cybercriminals can send corrupted files or files contaminated with viruses and malware, which cause major problems for the company. Antivirus software for email helps block the main threats present in the online environment, including those received through corrupted links and attachments.

Having a blocking tool helps prevent these threats from being installed on the device and causing problems for the user.

It is equally important to ensure that these tools remain up to date so that they are prepared to deal with threats as they evolve.

Prevent opening attachments

As we can see, many of the threats that arrive via email are present in the attachments of these messages . Due to this factor, it is important that employees understand the importance of paying attention to senders and attachments received.

Blocking the automatic download of these attachments is a smart strategy that helps increase security and ensure safe email. As reliable as this file appears to be, it is important that it is verified by a scanning service before it is actually opened by the user.

One way to avoid scams received through attachments is by implementing a cloud service in the company . This way, employees will exchange information through this service and no longer through attachments.

Email security checklist

The tips we bring in this article can help increase the security of your email and avoid the incidence of various cyber scams. To help you, we have also prepared a security checklist for you to check your email step by step and the main strategies that should be adopted to add even more protection.

Check the reliability of your password.
1. The internet is full of tips for having a secure password
different and secure is used for each email account
Enable two-factor authentication ;
Use an antivirus and ensure that it is updated as necessary;
Update the browsers used;
Do not open links in emails from senders that are not known or trusted;
Block automatic download of attachments;
Ensure strong passwords for home office connections;
Avoid public networks as they present a greater security risk.

Is failing to protect email a risk?

As we have seen throughout this article, there are several threats that can arrive via email, which can cause numerous problems for the company. Failing to protect your email can be a big risk for both users and the business.

Information leakage, for example, is one of the problems that has caused a lot of damage to companies, resulting in penalties and damaging their image in the market.

It is very important that employees understand the importance of using a secure email when exchanging daily information. To help, the company can establish an awareness policy that helps employees understand the importance of digital security for everyone.

You can also implement a security checklist, like this model that we make available for free on our website , so that all users can check the characteristics and practices that must be implemented for secure email, and that guarantee greater security for everyone.

Blocking threats with Lumiun Box

With so many threats really safe and from a reliable source becomes a little difficult. . The Lumiun Box was created exactly for this purpose. Make access to the internet, websites, links and files, especially for companies, safer and more relaxed, eliminating managers' concerns and also improving employee productivity on the internet.

In short, the Lumiun Box blocks websites categorized as harmful , with inappropriate content or chosen by the administrator, such as social networks, for example. With several categories available, it is possible to customize blocks and separate groups of users . The financial sector, for example, can be blocked from social networks and potentially dangerous websites, while the company's marketing sector has free access to social networks but has an extra layer of protection.

This way, links, files and access to websites that could pose dangers to the company's data and information , whether via email or any other internet access channel, will be effectively blocked.