When the Democratic National Committee suffered a huge data leak at the hands of Russian intelligence agents, the means by which their network had been compromised was soon found to be an email phishing campaign.
The incident ? which potentially impacted American politics in a big way ? bought the necessity of email security into the light.
Email security is essential for any organization wishing to keep its data under wraps and prevent malware attacks. Think of it in this way: email accounts are the most accessible door into a network for any outside actor. Securing that door correctly is naturally of paramount concern.
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication
Good email security always relies upon the premise that unwanted actors are unable to gain access to sensitive services. Preventing unwanted logins is not as simple as setting up a password page. Hackers have all sorts of methods for getting past password stages ? including brute force attacks and simple password theft.
Cyber security experts often recommend some form of multi-factor email login authentication to organizations worried about the integrity of their email security. Multi-factor authentication is rather self-explanatory. Instead of relying upon one authenticating factor ? like a password ? multiple factors need to be offered up before a person can enter an email account.
A combination of phone confirmation, password, and biometric authentication factors usually make up a strong authentication wall. Biometric data is seen by experts as being particularly resistant to interference. Biometric authentication data can include iris scans, fingerprint scans, facial recognition, or retinal scans.
Provide Regular Training
Ultimately, good training is the ultimate defense against email-based phishing attacks and data theft. Make sure that all staff members within an organization are given regular security familiarization training, which will help them to notice red flags and allow them to report any potential weak points in email security.
Implement A Data Loss Prevention Strategy
Although some of the threats to email cyber security are related to malicious files infiltrating a network, data exfiltrating a network is also a huge security concern. Data is perhaps the most indispensable resource of any modern business and is often extremely sensitive. A data loss prevention strategy determines what data can be released from a network over email. Automating blocks on unauthorized data exfiltration is extremely important. A data loss prevention strategy specifies the conditions for the exchange of organizational data over email.
Make Sure To Employ Malware Detection
Email is one of the most common ways for malware to enter a network. Because email is inherently a communication medium, it is the perfect way for nefarious actors to insert malicious software. A robust malware detection solution needs to be added to your network. Although training and multi-factor implementation should stop a large number of attempted malware infiltrations, some may still get through. This is where a malware detection solution comes into play ? sniffing out the unwanted software before it has a chance to truly harm your organization and wreak expensive damage.
