In todayâs bustling, digital, highly connected world, youâre undoubtedly using some kind of internet-connected device. You also likely have at least one or more email addresses that you use often. Email is one of the most widely used communication systemsâand a likely target for fraudâyet, itâs also one where many people seem to lose focus on reinforcing their online security.
It can happen in a number of ways. Maybe your password isnât strong enough or youâre not using the right kind (or enough) of encryption. Perhaps family members are sending financial details and other sensitive data over unsecured connections.
Either way, itâs imperative to boost your email security. Regardless, various threats are out there just looking for a way into your email system. Whether youâre running a tech-oriented business or are merely concerned with personal/family use, you should enhance your email security now. There are many benefits to this, such as:
Guard Against Phishing Attempts
Phishing attempts are one of the most common scams in the world today. In the United States alone, 74% of organizations experienced a successful phishing attack. Thatâs not a great statistic. Protecting yourself from phishing is more crucial than ever before. It’s the most common way breaches occur at organizations and it’s becoming more sophisticated all the time.
Sometimes, itâll manifest itself as a legitimate-appearing message from a real organization or someone you trust. There may be something slightly off, but hardly noticeable. When unsuspecting users click a link or input personal details (like credit card numbers) at the destination page, the phishing attempt becomes successful.
Data and personal details get stolen or compromised in an instant. Luckily, email security software can mitigate the threat by providing layered protection that combines machine learning, content analysis (including text and photos), and other standard security techniques. The email analyzer from Trustifi can help detect phishing attempts and ensure that email communications are secure.
Prevent Viruses and Malware
An antivirus program isnât the only method for guarding against viruses, ransomware, and malware. Email security can provide similar benefits against these and other common email attacks like spoofing or zero-day exploits.
Newer security software incorporates machine learning, sandbox analysis, macro identification, and other powerful tools to identify risks, exploits, or other malware. Itâll also scan your attachments (which you shouldnât download without verifying anyway) and flag potentially dangerous links.
Information about the threats gets shared with the other protective layers of the program, creating a solid barrier against a great deal of malware-related issues.
Prevent Email Compromise
Email compromise is a significant issue facing consumers and businesses alike. Business email compromise (BEC) affects more than small and large organizations; it affects everyday email users, too.
Alternatively known as âman-in-the-emailâ scams or email account compromise, BEC usually starts as a phishing attempt to gain entry into an employeeâs account. Then, it morphs into something much worse. There are a few different ways scammers perpetrate BEC, like fake invoices, data theft, attorney impersonation, or someone pretending to be a high-ranking official such as the CEO or CFO. The FBI refers to BEC as âone of the most financially damaging online crimes.â BEC often happens gradually to unsuspecting email users.
A scammer will select a target and begin grooming them for the scam. Their email address will appear legitimate as part of the organization or similar to the email address of someone you know. Eventually, the scammer may gain an individualâs trust, resulting in the victim sending money or data (or both!) at some future point.
Implementing a robust email security suite into your home computer or at your business is the single best preventative measure against phishing, compromise, and related issues. Advanced software can analyze the writing style of trusted sources and potential fraudsters to assist with catching email fraud before it has a chance to occur at all.
Detect Exploits Faster
With layered protection in place, your system can detect exploits much faster. Features like time-of-click protection immediately notify users of malicious links within an email.
Additionally, the software analyzes email content while encrypting your email. Other layers like source verification, authentication, and integration with other security software all work together to create excellent threat protection.
Stacking these protective layers, providing consistent reports and data, and providing a standby email system in the event things start to go south are all useful features of modern email security suites.
Advanced Threat Detection
Advanced threat protection (ATP) is the final frontier of email security measures. In ATP, There are multiple techniques that often work in conjunction with each other to create the best protective measures possible against more sophisticated threats.
As either software or a managed service, ATP uses a combination of machine learning sandbox analysis to dynamically address malware. It can even find unknown malware and destroy it before it can become a threat. Robust email security software incorporates the most up-to-date ATP to protect you from hacking, and compromise, and keep your sensitive data safe.
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