If you cannot guarantee the safe & security email to your subscribers, your campaign and product have already failed. comprehensive cyber-crimes method are rising day by day.
That is exactly why every email marketer requires a good email security awareness training guide to avoid these circumstances.
Emails can not only the best source for digital marketing but can also be the best channel use for comprehensive cyber crimes events.
What is Email Security?
Email security is used for describing the procedures and techniques ( filtering ) for safeguarding email accounts, safe device email files, sensitive emails files against unauthorized access include Business email compromise( bec ), spam attacks, malware attacks, data threats & security measures solution environment by using secure email gateway.
Mainly, attackers use deceptive messages to entice the subscribers to part with sensitive information and open attachments events that may install malware on the victim’s device increasingly.
Many enterprise network use email security filtering policies include email security tools and email security practices to avoid spams.
The popularity of email security practices rises due to cyber attacks. In addition, email cybersecurity solutions filtering decreased the risks associated with data loss and malware threats.
Email was designed to be easily accessible for people / victim’s; attackers take advantage of malware, spam campaigns program, and phishing attacks to carry out their actions point.
How secure is an email?
A secure email gateway is a device email software or email security tool used for monitoring( filtering ) emails that have been sent and received.
A secure email gateway usually increasingly tracks spam threats, malicious attack, business email compromise ( bec ), malware attacks to ensure and protects sensitive information to secure valuable data, communications messages etc.
Well, you can increasingly identify threats by using deep content inspection to remove/scan advanced ransomware threats and malware effectively. Attackers exploit emails to steal confidential information as many companies rely on email for their business program to connect.
A secure email gateway deployed in the cloud provides multi-layered protection from malicious, granular visibility; and business continuity for different organizations.
Recently email attacks have become so sophisticated, that it ‘s hard for brands to fight back.
Around 97% percent, people globally cannot identify an advanced malware spam and phishing email. To make it worst most people open their emails in mobile devices which make it harder to spot a phish. – Movableink
It is a very unpleasant situation for business brands and users identity. Email security and business are at stake.
Email fraud costs companies around the world in billions. It can permanently destroy the brand reputation & identity. Subscribers would most likely stop interacting with brands & business email compromise ( bec ) after being phished or spoofed by them.
Malware spam and phishing attacks point are on the rise worldwide since 2011.
Using the right Email security awareness training guide majorly effective and ensure you to overcome these often situations and provides you an excellent cloud based email protection solution include security measures and sensitive data protection security email guide that protects identity & aware you.
Let’s first understand how email fraud works and what its types and identity email security issues.
Then we often will move on to provide / connect / protects a simple use of effective email security guide and email security best practices required to protect and secure email.
however, cloud email protection tools is an all in often one layered breach email security measures & solution to control spam & phishing attacks email traffic.
Working of the email fraud landscape for email security :
Since 2011 there has been a sharp rise and evolution in the email fraud landscape. Cybercriminals constantly come up with new and sophisticated ways to leverage email cause harm to the customers, victim’s and businesses productivity.
The first stage of email security awareness training guide is to first find out the loopholes. We must first connect / know what are the effective tactics used often.
Below are three types of email tactics used by cyber criminals:
1. Spam
Spams are classified as unsolicited emails sent in bulk. Even point if spams do not have the threat like a virus-infected attachment, junk email can quickly overwhelm a user making it challenging and impossible for owners to view legitimate messages for communications.
In some cases, vector spam may include hyperlinks that install malware files which trick users into giving breach & confidential sensitive information and unauthorized access to cyber criminals, or malware sites that download malicious software risk onto the user’s computer by clicking it.
The spam problem and email security issue has become so bad in the recent years that some users/ recipient are abandoning email addresses instead of combating the problem.
Spams has also become the delivery medium for both phishers and virus attackers traffic. we listen inc news on a daily basis billions number of spams traffic are sent, news like spam inc news, fraud news and messages etc.
Below are ways by which spammers find valid email addresses:
Purchasing or filtering trading lists/ menu number with other types spammers identity.
They use effective and unique vector software which helps crawl web pages, mailing list / menu archives, valuable company data, internet forums, breach sensitive information , business email risk, sensitive data and provide other online sources that include breach recipient email addresses control resources search platform.
Dictionary harvest attacks are used by spammers also known as an first attack / risk where valid email addresses at a particular domain are found by guessing and using common usernames in email addresses at that domain.
Spammers also acquire valid recipient email address and device email address, provide easy clicks like corporate email address , organizations link attachment/ files with the promise of free services or other offerings . So that they lure people / victim’s into risk clicking and opening emails resources platform.
2. Spoofing:
Spoofing is the forgery of an e-mail. The email messages communications that appears / search to have come from a person or brand other than the actual source from the cyber criminals.
Spoofing takes place in many ways. One the most common way is by concealing the actual sender’s name and the origin of the email. Attackers looking at the web source may be masked by the recipient.
In a case of email fraud the criminals use at least minimal spoofing or using corporate email addresses. Since they are trying to avoid being tracked by security agencies and users resources.
Below are the types of email spoofing methods employed by cyber criminals to unlawfully acquire user data:
Spoofing is done in various ways, one of it is domain spoofing. In this type of spoofing, the precise sending domain of the brand is mimicked.
Cousin domain threats are when email messages that spoof the brand name with unauthorized access. They are not from domains owned or controlled by that brand. In display name spoofing the name that comes before the “from” address in the header field of the email is mimicked. In subject line spoofing, the subject line is imitated by the cyber criminals. To get the subscribers into opening and clicking the malicious emails which may contain worms or viruses.
The tools required to spoof email addresses are very easy to acquire. You just need a working SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), a server that can send email, and the right mailing software which will secure email gateway.
Viruses, worms, and Trojans:
The virus, worms, and Trojans are delivered as malicious email attachments. These destructive codes can devastate the receivers system. They turn their computers into remote control slaves known as botnets. This cause recipients to lose serious money and take over banking and credit card details or other securing sensitive data.
Beyond Trojan horse keyloggers, for example, are known to surreptitiously record system activities, gain/ giving unauthorized access to external parties to bank accounts/ computer, valuable company data account ,private business websites, sensitive information, social media accounts, data protection tools and other critical organization / industry resources by clicking into hyperlinks and web attachments.
3. Phishing:
Phishing intends to trick email recipients into giving sensitive information or credentials for malicious reasons. This information is then misused.
Beyond Spear Phishing attackers looking to utilize social engineering to steal a particular consumers’ personal ,critical financial and incoming valuable company data and industry data.
These attackers looking to carried out by “spoofed” emails which give hyperlinks that install malware and links to bogus websites. These trick organizations, employee & partners into revealing securing confidential financial data. The data like sensitive information, credit card details, secure account numbers, critical usernames account, passwords and incoming Social Security numbers.
Phishing perpetrators & attackers looking / operate by hiding under phony identities and names. These are stolen from valuable company data, corporate banks, online businesses, and credit-card companies.
They can also masquerade as government agencies and banks that the recipient might recognize for industry email security purpose.
A URL should be secured with grey padlock and start with HTTPS. A user can click on a padlock and check if there is an SSL certificate or not. SSL can be a single domain , multi domain or wildcard SSL certificate.
Below are the ways by which phishing are carried out:
Phishing can be carried out by tracking email servers into delivering the emails to the inbox of recipients. By masquerading the “envelope from” address which is hidden in the technical header of the email.
The emails look legitimate by spoofing the company’s name in the “Display Name” field. So that consumers do not recognize it and add valuable and sensitive information.
Malware Spam and Phishing is a serious offense. Sometimes these cyber criminals also copy company logos to make their malicious emails look authentic. They also legitimate company domain or a domain that looks like it is “from” the field and subject lines.
Users are directed to malicious websites through a link, or they are given malicious attachments. All these things make it difficult for users to differentiate between authentic emails and malicious emails.
Here are few more findings by different email security and network companies :
- Twenty-three percent people/ victim globally open phishing emails. – Verizon
- RSA has identified that there is a phishing attack every minute. – RSA
- Over 50% of the email, users receive one phishing email per day. – Phishing
- Eleven percent recipients open attachments. – Verizon
- 5 out of 6 big businesses are affected by phishing attacks / viruses . – Symantec
- Half recipients open these emails, and seventy percent phishing attacks come from domains that aren’t owned by brands. – Verizon
How can you identify a Phish?
We already wrote a guide in blog – 11 Easy Ways to Identify Phishing Emails. Apart from those layered practices & solution for data protection with email secure gateway tips. You can quickly have a look through following email security best practices for productivity:
Do not believe everything you see
- Even if you find an email that appears to be from a ensure valid email address. Do not believe it as it does not guarantee that it is legitimate / secure email with email security best practices.
Look for threatening language in a subject line
- Phishing emails try to make sense of urgency or fear in opening.
Try to analyze the salutation
- If the email is addressed to a vague “Valued Customer” beware it may not be legitimate. Most businesses use your first valuable company data and click computer business email compromise. Because hyperlinks that install malware viruses allows.
Look at the emails don’t click
- Try to move your mouse over any ‘hyperlinks that install malware viruses’ even before opening embedded in the email. If the computer link address looks weird and spammy, don’t click on it. Type the website link in the address bar if you find it suspicious rather than clicking on it. It can save you from unsolicited emails industry.
Never give out any personal sensitive information for banks
- Legitimate banks never ask for common personal credentials via email. Don’t give them out to anyone online for loss.
Check the emails for spelling mistakes
- Marketers are pretty serious about emails. They never make any common spelling mistakes or have poor grammar.
Review the signature in email body
- If there are no details about the signer on to contact the company it may be a strong phish. A opening legitimate business email would provide proper name, source, and a contact phone number.
Global impact of email fraud:
Business revenue may strong suffer as a result of email fraud. Malware Spam and Phishing costs brands around the world around $4.5 billion every year. These extra charges are due to:
- Fraud charges aware that are associated with stolen credit cards email traffic.
- Cash withdrawals that are related to strong online trading victim accounts.
- Time spent by employees in dealing with such fraudulent transaction.
- Customer / employee & partners support calls information device email.
- Email marketing revenue is lost because of attackers looking for phishing opening.
Even The longer the strong phishing attacks are active, the more the brands pay. Brand reputation is eroded with the aware revenue.
Phishing is one of the major email security concerns for businesses as it can lead to large-scale losses. It can destroy a cooperation never to rise again.
Clients, employee & partners love to communicate with brands via email, but they also quickly abandon communication once trust is broken. More than forty percent consumers even are less likely to interact with a brand. After being phished or spoofed by them. It is one of the reasons that phished brands can be a major hit to their email marketing programs. It also lower their businesses revenue.
Email Security Guide – How to fight back?
An email security awareness training guide/ menu helps you aware, oppose and fight against these troublemakers. Even Businesses should make email security part at their planning stage for any new initiative falling or cloud marketing program involving email.
Marketing and email security teams , employee & partners need to collaborate on any new venture. Poor email security jeopardizes deliverability of legitimate messages. Therefore poor spam email security would cost you in millions. Technical data loss and may even be the end of your cloud email business productivity.
Protecting email users and their system from cyber attackers is a continuous job which requires multiple email security measures & tools and a good cloud email security guide to help you walk down the process .
There are many ways in which email fraud can be prevented by implementing email secure gateway. A secure email gateway is the entire best way to track emails. Even This email security guide provides a few precautions , email security measures methods towards email security best practices that can be taken by types of brands to stop this:
1. Educate your customers:
Education is one of the primary email-defense communication tools, email security software and an important guideline of email marketing guide that allows compliance cloud email in combating email fraud for data protection.
No matter how sophisticated email authentication protocols you use for email security, However some malicious email traffic will always reach the inbox of your recipients. To avoid entire falling this kind of issue secure email gateway is implementing for the email security measures.
Users who are properly educated and made aware of compliance email threats attacker attempts are less likely to entire open and stop potentially virus-infected attachments, suspicious hyperlinks that install malware, phishing links or perform any risky actions systems.
Education is an excellent way to ensure mitigating the impact of fraudulent messages and gain unauthorized access at trusted device email.
Creation of victim-education portal which including articles on how to spot a phishing attack is a great way to assure customer safety. Remind your clients that you’ll never ask them for containing compliance specific public contact point/ sensitive information passwords over emails and implement email security best practices and services.
Also Educate them about email protection tools. How email protection protects users email messages and data based from email-borne threats?, How email protection detect threats containing from secure email messages/ potentially sensitive information/ public message credentials?,
Using trusted web email protection defense system to block/control email traffic spams, stop phishing, virus delivery related from email messages techniques and approach.
2. Advice client to use Client Security:
All the leading email clients now have email security best practices like confidential security email settings, anti-spam tools, data protection tools, phishing filters attacker attempts and attackers other features that are design/ create to isolate dangerous messages communications before they can inflict harm.
Email users should be advise to investigate all of these functions , implement/designed email secure gateway and use them as their first line of defense against intend malware spam and phishing attack and human error attachments links / files . However, clients should create strong passwords to avoid phishing attacks.
Ask client to use strong passwords and decree periodic password changes for email security measures/ approach.
3. Advice users to use a firewall and anti- virus tools:
A firewall can filter out malware-laden attachments and other types of unwanted materials. Anti-Virus tools do a good job of removing viruses links, spread worms links, and Trojan horses attachments from incoming email messages to avoid target spam and phishing attacks for the security email web site attachments.
4. Collaboration across departments can prevent cyber-attacks:
The marketing and email security teams should work together to providing security email to the users to remain protected from spam and phishing attacks. A corporate policy should dictate authentication protocols for sending domains. This is yet another major point in the email security guide policy.
Few authentication protocols that can be helpful:
These are a few major steps to be take while following the email security guide.
1. Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM):
This allows organizations to take responsibility for transmitting an security email in a way that can be verified by the email providers. It is possible through cryptographic authentication within the digital signature of the email.
2. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance):
Layered email security protocols and solutions block fraudulent activity coming from domains under the brand’s control forever before it even reaches the customer’s inbox, by properly authenticating only legitimate email against the established DKIM and SPF standards..
3. Sender Policy Framework (SPF):
This allows brands and businesses to specify and gain access to send security email on behalf of your domain. List the IP address of the authorized sender in a record that email providers, when sent receive an email with the help of email secure gateway. If the brand’s sending domain’s SPF record does not list the IP address sending the email, the email fails SPF authentication.
Above screenshot shows the email security warning shown by Gmail mailbox when it receives an email from un-authenticated domain where proper DKIM and DMARC records not implemented properly.
Related post: 11 Myths about SPF, DKIM, DMARC and the Reality – Marketers View
To understand what DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance) does and how it can help marketers protect consumers from spam and phishing attacks, try to gather more information. DMARC ensures that unauthenticated emails do not reach their intended victims, thereby providing an email security solution.
We should note this important solution in the email security guide as it has a major impact on email security, to secure email services in the near future.
Always identify your sending domain owners:
Carry out an audit on everyone who is sending emails to you or your brand. These lists include third parties and give information about that list back to email security.
This sender sensitive information is highly helpful in cleaning up email authentication practices and also ensures that the necessary third-party policies are in place. Divide your responsibilities and monitor your work daily.
This email security guide along with these data protection tools & solution can be highly valuable to stop email spam and phishing attacks. But, educating the buyers is the best way to ensure they are safe and avoid human error.
Communication from the side of the brand ( from marketing team ) is one of the best ways to keep them informed about secure email.
If you don’t have enough time to manage cybersecurity on your own, you should look for the best cybersecurity company that can supply you with the safest and most secure solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Email security is the practice of protecting emails from unauthorized access, modification, and malicious activity. This includes using encryption, authentication, and digital signatures to secure messages.
Email security is important for email marketers for a number of reasons. Unsecured emails can lead to data breaches, which can cause significant damage to a business’s reputation and financial losses. Additionally, insecure emails can be used to target customers with spam and phishing attacks, which can lead to compromised accounts and identity theft.
To ensure email security, email marketers should use encryption, authentication, use anti-spam and anti-phishing tools and digital signatures to protect emails.
Email marketers should use encryption to protect customer data. Additionally, they should implement a secure password policy, use two-factor authentication, and use anti-spam and anti-phishing tools to protect against malicious attacks
An email security tool is software that helps protect your email from being hacked or spoofed. It can also help prevent phishing attacks. For Example:- EasySendy Pro
Thanks for the tips ankit.
Phishing scams are typically given within the type of spam or pop-ups and are usually tough to notice. Once the fraudsters get the personal info, they will use it for every type of fraud, swing our good credit and good name in danger. Because phishing is one amongst the foremost devious kinds of fraud, It’s necessary for everyone to become aware of varied styles of phishing scams besides on learning the way to protect against them. These tips and precautions are must be followed.
Thanks for sharing such articles. Each one of us should be careful about it. As advanced email marketers, it is our responsibility to minimize the chances the attackers have when targeting our systems. We should take care of email technology and the data.
Hey Ankit, yet another great blog post from your end. It has all the important information that will drive an email marketer towards taking steps in building up email marketing security. The authentication protocols are the best according to me. Thank you so much for sharing this useful information through your blog.
Superb work Ankit! You have managed to put all the important points that are essential for email security that every email marketer must follow. It is indeed a great piece of guide and does absolute justice to its headline. Thanks for sharing it.
Hey Ankit, yet another great blog post from your end. It has all the necessary information that will drive an email marketer towards taking steps in building up email marketing security. The authentication protocols are the best according to me. Thank you so much for sharing this useful information through your blog.
Superb work Ankit! You have actually managed to put all the important points that are essential for email security that every email marketer must follow. It is indeed a great piece of guide and does an absolute justice to its headline. Thanks for sharing it.
The best thing this blog is that you have written about all the essential points in a quite simple manner. Even if someone is new to email marketing, he will have no difficulty understanding the content. I think phishing messages are making it hard for email marketers to operate successfully in the market. The email security guide described by you will really help them to fight against cyber criminals.
Great Article Ankit! Could you also give information about the best firewall to put in place and also the best anti-virus you consider? Phishing filters, what are they exactly? How can we deploy it in our system? Overall I got a great idea about the various kinds of email threats.
Yes, it can be true that a majority of people have made an online purchase due to email marketing but it is also true that email security of an individual gets in jeopardy. The marketers must strive to not misuse the email lists.
I am one among those 97% of people who cannot identify a phishing mail! I also get as many as 4 spams per day! This article has certainly helped me to identify some of the phishing mail.
These are some great set of tips and tricks you have provided for us affiliate marketers. I think Affiliate email marketing is one of today’s most underutilized marketing channels, considering affiliate campaigns can deliver huge performance returns like higher open rates, click-through rates, and exponentially broader email reach. I will try to take complete advantage of the resources that you have provided us with.
Hey Ankit, what a fantastic article. I completely agree that Email security is a priority for all businesses, with the developing dangers of hackers, infections spam, phishing and wholesale fraud and the need to secure business data, security plays a very vital role these days.
It is necessary to safeguard our business against ransomware, phishing, and other sophisticated attacks. We can reduce our onsite data center footprint and maintain advanced threat protection, to defend against quickly changing email threats.
Email security is a mundane term and we must shield our business from inbound threats, and also manage and encrypt sensitive outbound email.
Email security is a buzz word these days. Every day my inbox is filled with such spam messages. Your blog gave me a lot of insights. Thanks.
These are some really useful tips. Liked how you put it all. As a marketer, everyone should know it. Sharing this with my team.
These email marketing terms are useful for us to understand the marketing domain in a better way.
Superb work Ankit! It is an excellent piece of the guide which every marketer must follow to conduct a successful marketing campaign. Thanks for sharing it.
Nice article Ankit! Phishing filters must be utilised to protect your email system from cyber criminals. The ideas described in the blog are well written. Thanks a lot!
Great info, thanks a lot. The article will help me improve my email marketing campaigns for email marketers.
Great info, thanks a lot. The article will help me improve my email marketing campaigns for email marketers.
Great insights, I liked the point where email security guidance since it is the most important information for marketers.
I enjoyed this article and understood how email fraud works. This blog has explained the methods to identify phishing emails.
Thanks for sharing a great article. Yes, it’s true that cyber-crimes are rising every day and making inbound marketing unsafe. Marketers should keep email security at the part of their planning stage to protect their users’ privacy.
Hey, I’m thrilled that you have written a valuable piece of content, and this guide is helpful for email marketers to implement email security for their subscribers.
It is challenging to identify phishing emails, and marketers need to maintain their subscribers’ privacy for brand loyalty.
It is known by everyone nowadays that email marketing is a very cost efficient marketing tool to save money. Easysendy pro will provide you the platform to promote your channel with email marketing to reach out your targeted audiences.