5 tips to rethink your business's email protection
- Updated at March 19, 2021
- By Gatefy
- Blog, Tips & Advices
Email security is still not a priority within most companies. But it should be. First, because email is the most used platform for cyber attacks. Did you know that of every 10 malware infection attempts 9 happen via email? Second, because a weak email protection directly affects your business, with, for example, loss of employee productivity, risk of data breaches and even risk of business disruption.
The big issue with email is that many managers and leaders trust the basic protection provided by the email provider, such as Microsoft Office 365 and G Suite, or the system itself when the email is hosted internally. However, to actually keep your data and information safe and to comply with laws and regulations, you need to go beyond the basics.
The high numbers of data breaches and losses don’t let us lie. According to the FBI, over the past 3 years, the BEC/EAC (Business Email Compromise and Email Account Compromise) attacks have resulted in losses of USD 26 billion.
According to Microsoft, the number of phishing attacks increased by 250% in 2018. A Europol report points out that phishing is present in 32% of data leaks and in 78% of cyber-espionage cases. The same document also says that about 65% of criminal groups use spear phishing as a way to hack companies and organizations.
That’s why we invite you to rethink your company’s or organization’s email security. And here are 5 reasons for that.
Table of Contents
5 reasons to improve your business's email security
1. Improve your employees' and business's productivity
The vast majority of companies receive at least a dozen emails a day, not to mention hundreds or thousands in some cases. This is normal considering that email is one of the main communication platforms, mainly for sales and marketing areas.
But the process of reading, replying and deleting messages can be tiring and even dangerous, especially if many emails are junk or malicious. In the end, as the phrase goes, time is money. So, if your company’s employees waste time dealing with unwanted messages, your company is also wasting time, that is, new business and money.
In that way, an advanced email security solution helps your company to separate the chaff from the wheat, blocking malicious emails and keeping your team focused on what really needs to be done.
2. Keep dangerous and advanced threats away from your company
Every day thousands of new types of cyber threats are created. It means that if there are those who are concerned about the forms of defense, there are also those who are concerned about the forms of attack. But the truth is that the vast majority of scams are simple threats. They’re easily detected and blocked.
We can even say that many phishing and spam campaigns are bizarre and goofy. They’re poorly constructed and are likely to pose little risk to your company, although they’re constant and irritating. But not all scams and threats are like that.
There are phishing and malware attacks, for example, that use social engineering and are very convincing. They look very reliable. Despite being something negative, we have to admit when something is done well. And there are many scams that are well thought out and well planned.
In these types of scams, which we call advanced and even targeted threats, it’s more likely that you or someone on your team will be enchanted by the message and believe in it. In other words, if your email protection solution doesn’t stop these malicious messages, your company may be in trouble.
3. Protect your company's data and reputation
A company’s most precious asset is the information and data it has. Information is the raw material that allows the company to develop and grow. By the way, without a doubt, your company email carries a lot of this important information every day. Now imagine the damage that could happen if some of that data fell into the wrong hands.
It’s important to have in mind that many scams are designed not only for financial purposes. What I mean is that they go beyond that, also intending to steal confidential and secret information, such as data about customers, employees and new projects and strategies that can be used in new scams.
In addition, if your system is infected with any type of threat, such as a ransomware or trojan, removing it can involve the loss of valuable data for the company. Obviously, this isn’t very cool for you, as a system manager or maintainer, nor for the company, customers and partners.
An advanced email security solution helps keep your data and information more secure and where it must be, which has a direct effect on your brand reputation. Yes, a data breach can affect your brand.
4. Prevent data breaches and stay compliant with laws and regulations
One of the biggest reasons for using a more efficient email protection solution is the issue of compliance with laws and regulations. We could mention as some examples the GDPR in Europe, the LGPD in Brazil, the CCPA in California and the NYSHIELD in New York.
In general, what these regulations require is that companies must be careful when handling confidential information that may harm data owners in any way.
In other words, they demand better protection, requiring security measures that prevent data leaks, be it unauthorized disclosure, access or use of information. So, using an advanced email security solution turns out to be an important step in meeting different requirements demanded by compliance standards.
5. Email is the main threat vector
The last reason to invest in a more efficient email security solution is one of the most obvious ones as well. Attackers love emails. It’s their favorite platform to commit fraud and spread threats, from simple spam campaigns to sophisticated phishing attacks. And the situation will likely continue like this for many, many years.
The expectation, according to Statista, is that this year more than 300 billion emails will be sent per day. Last year, the average was 290 billion. Most of these emails involve companies and organizations, which also helps explain the crooks’ interest in this communication tool.
To complement this idea, according to a Gatefy report, about 80% to 90% of emails directed to companies are junk ones, which include unwanted campaigns, threats, and scams. At these times, it’s easier to see the importance of email security and the reasons why it must be seen as a priority within companies.
Advanced email security solution
Here at Gatefy we help you with advanced email security solution. It’s your company’s opportunity to get better data and information protection, ensure your team’s productivity, stay compliant and prevent threats and data leaks. As we say, we’re here to assist you.
If you would like to try our solution, click here. Or write to [email protected] and we will explain exactly how it works, including integration with Zimbra, Office 365, Exchange and G Suite, for example.
