What Is Email Security? Definition, Benefits, Examples & Best Practices

Email security can be defined as the use of various techniques to secure sensitive information in email communication and accounts against unauthorized access, loss, or compromise. In simpler terms, email security allows an individual or organization to protect the overall access to one or more email addresses or accounts. This article explains what email security is, its importance, and benefits for enterprises. It also shares the top 8 best practices for email security in 2021.

Table of Contents

• • What Is Email Security?
  • Why Is Email Security Important?
  • Benefits of Email Security for Enterprises
  • Top 8 Best Practices for Email Security in 2021

What Is Email Security?

Email security can be defined as the use of various techniques to keep sensitive information in email communication and accounts secure. These precautions are taken chiefly against unauthorized access, loss, or compromise. It allows an individual or an organization to protect the overall access to one or more email addresses or accounts. 

Email security safeguards the content of an email account or service that generally serves as a popular medium for the spread of malware, spam, and phishing attacks. This is usually done using deceptive messages to entice recipients to divulge sensitive information, open attachments, or click on hyperlinks that install malware on the victim’s device.

Stopping attacks at the entry point:

Email is also a common entry point for attackers looking to gain a foothold in an enterprise network and breach valuable business data. Hence, email security is necessary for both individual and business email accounts, and there are multiple measures organizations should take to enhance email security. Some of the proactive email security measures, from an end user’s standpoint, include:

1. 1. Strong passwords
   2. Password rotations
   3. Spam filters
   4. Desktop-based anti-virus or anti-spam application

Similarly, a service provider ensures email security by using strong passwords and access-control mechanisms on an email server. Here, the email messages are encrypted and digitally signed as they are placed in the inbox or are in transit to or from a subscriber’s email address. 

The service provider also implements firewall and software-based spam filtering applications to restrict unsolicited, untrustworthy, and malicious email messages from being delivered to a user’s inbox.

Also Read: What Is Fraud Detection? Definition, Types, Applications, and Best Practices

Why Is Email Security Important?

Email is a popular attack vector. Therefore, enterprises and individuals must secure their email accounts against common attacks and attempt to gain unauthorized access to the communications’ accounts or content. Email security is significant due to the following plausible reasons:

1. Email is a common target for cyber-criminals

The first thing that employees get as soon as they join any firm is their official email account. The employees use their respective email IDs to access the company information and communicate with fellow employees daily. Every official communication to or from the company uses email as a medium. 

Therefore, when employees work remotely, as observed in the COVID-19 pandemic situation, they tend to use their official emails for almost all communication. Such communications are vulnerable, and the employees are at the risk of being attacked by cyber-criminals. Cyber-criminals often use phishing, baits, social engineering, and many other types of attacks to exploit cracks in the security system.

2. A small loophole can affect the entire organization

A small loophole in an email’s security can allow deadly malware or spyware to sneak into the entire communication network, wreaking havoc in the entire organization. The situation worsens when the organization’s network is hit by deadly ransomware. 

Even seasoned professionals and experienced employees fall victim to such tactics. These cyber thieves may also leak sensitive information by bringing it into the public domain or by selling it to bidders in the case of a personal vendetta.

3. Crucial for organizations to protect sensitive information

The company’s confidential information may include highly sensitive information that can be used against the organization or for criminal purposes. Cyber-criminals can also target day-to-day communication and change messages, which can create miscommunication and compel the communicators (the employees) to release or hide relevant information. 

Such forgery may result in identity theft that can ultimately cause a breach of sensitive information. Both employees and organizations have to bear in mind that cyber-criminals only need a thin crack in security to jeopardize the entire workflow.

Also Read: Top 10 IT Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems for 2021

4. Below-average standard security measures

Although email service providers employ standard security measures, cyber-criminals can easily circumvent many of these measures. Generally, standard email defenses can only stop threats that are already known to them. In some situations, the email system also prompts its users to decide whether the received messages are secure or not and act accordingly. Advanced threat detection systems currently use artificial intelligence databases, real-time analysis, and machine learning for better protection. 

However, such sophisticated advanced techniques are not employed under standard email security measures. That’s why it has become essential for users to use advanced security measures to identify a wide range of threats well in advance and stop them from entering the system.

5. Cyber-criminals use sophisticated & advanced methods

The technological advancement in online security systems can also empower cyber-criminals and hackers as they tend to use more and more advanced methods to breach various security firewalls. 

These methods include AI fuzzing (AIF) and machine learning poisoning (MLP), enabling hackers to automate cyber-attacks. Besides, cyber-criminals can exploit many cloud vulnerabilities, damaging an organization’s workflow, business, image, and credibility in the industry. 

All of these threats are grave enough for any organization, and hence it is crucial to install advanced email security measures. Organizations can also opt for security service providers who offer potent and improved email and overall online security.

Also Read: What Is Browser Isolation? Definition, Technology Components, and Vendors

Benefits of Email Security for Enterprises

In today’s digital world, email has become an indispensable part of our lives, as almost every communication in an enterprise happens here. Even though emails are used so freely, it is important for an organization not to become complacent about protecting the data shared via emails, as they can cause severe damage to its business. 

With the growing threat of hackers, viruses, spam, phishing, identity theft, and ransomware attacks, organizations have an added responsibility to secure their business data and treat email security as a priority. 

Following are some of the benefits of email security for enterprises:

Benefits of Email Security for Enterprises

1. Control device access 

Email security can prevent total access to sensitive email attachments on vulnerable unmanaged devices while permitting full access to secure managed devices. It ensures that there is control over an email account’s content access, thereby securing the content communicated during an email message exchange. 

2. Identify suspicious user behavior

Email security can assist in the assessment of outbound messages for detecting known spam and threats. This control on outbound email messages can help discover account compromise or other suspicious user behavior. The right kind of email security platform should detect and alert users who have started to send or receive large volumes of outbound email, including bulk messages. Such activity can be an indicator of compromise. 

3. Improve spam and phishing protection

Powerful phishing protection solutions are required to defend an organization against ever-evolving phishing attacks. In phishing attacks, hackers send an email that appears to be from a legitimate sender to deceive the employees into revealing sensitive information like bank account numbers, account passwords, or credit card information. Sophisticated email security measures help detect unwanted spam and unsafe phishing emails, thereby allowing customers to block or take other actions against suspicious emails.

Also Read: What Is Content Filtering? Definition, Types, and Best Practices

4. Maintain communication confidentiality

Email security techniques such as email encryption software or programs keep the confidentiality of email messaging intact. Email encryption is critical, specifically when sending any confidential information or during sensitive communications. Thus, email encryption can serve as a tangible investment that can save the organization from compromising its sensitive data.

5. Protection against zero-day threats

Email security is of paramount importance for protecting an organization against a zero-day threat, as attacks are generally initiated via a malicious link or rogue attachment. Preventing a zero-day attack requires multiple layers of protection to defend against malware, viruses, and spam, as well as targeted attacks such as phishing, spear-phishing, or whaling attack. Email security such as a Secure Email Gateway helps prevent a zero-day attack by providing anti-malware and anti-spam protection.

6. Real-time threat protection

Email security provides real-time threat protection capability by using a unique blend of detection technologies, such as machine learning, sandboxing, and predictive analytics, to effectively stop advanced threats such as ransomware.

7. Stop ransomware attacks and other threats

Ransomware attacks involve gaining access to an organization’s computer systems or sensitive data and blocking access to the data by or encrypting it. Attackers allow the organizations to access their data only after making a payment, or “ransom.” Because ransomware attacks are often initiated via email, blocking malicious URLs and weaponized attachments is the most effective way to stop ransomware attacks. That’s why, when email security is in place, it helps in identifying threats ranging from annoying spam to advanced malware, phishing, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks.

Also Read: What Is Real User Monitoring? Definition, Key Components, and Best Practices

Top 8 Best Practices for Email Security in 2021

An effective business email security strategy is individual — however, certain universal concepts and methods can be incorporated by every enterprise in its approach to combat email threats. The top eight best practices for securing enterprise email are as follows: 

Top 5 Best Practices for Email Security in 2021

1. Backup critical files

Although an effective enterprise email security strategy drastically reduces an organization’s chances of experiencing a cyber-attack, no security strategy or potential solution is entirely foolproof. To minimize the potential damage and devastation in a ransomware attack, enterprises should back up critical files regularly and automatically.

The organization should be aware that sophisticated ransomware variants may sit idle for weeks without any activity until triggered, potentially destroying backups and all the critical files. With advanced technology, threat actors are also getting smarter as they attack backups to prevent recovery. However, there are various ways that enterprises can protect their backups, which include:

1. 1. Back-up supplement: Keep additional copies in multiple locations.
   2. Isolate backups: The more the barriers between a compromised system and its backups, the harder it will be for a ransomware-type threat to attack these backups.
   3. Frequent backup tests: Restoration exercises should be performed regularly to identify any issues or potential vulnerabilities.

2. Educate employees

Employee education and security awareness training are essential aspects of an effective enterprise email security strategy. Administrators, IT, and corporate professionals understand the importance of corporate email security, the value of sensitive data, and the consequences of a successful phishing attack or breach. 

Yet, the employees must share this understanding with their colleagues. According to a Global report 2018Opens a new window , most insider breaches result from human error or negligence, and enterprises can mitigate this risk by sharing knowledge with employees and providing periodic awareness training. 

As employees are an enterprise’s first line of defense, it is important to provide regular, comprehensive security training. This will not only minimize the risk of human error but also strengthen this critical defense.

Also Read: What Is Privileged Access Management (PAM)? Definition, Components and Best Practices

3. Automate email encryption

Deploying an automated email encryption solution is one of the best practices in today’s modern organizations. This encryption solution should analyze all outbound email traffic to determine whether the material being communicated over email is sensitive. If the content is sensitive, it needs to be encrypted before it is emailed to the intended recipient. Such a mechanism will prevent cyber-attackers from viewing emails, even if they were to intercept them.

Email Encryption Automation

Here’s why an enterprise should employ email encryption:

1. 1. 1. To protect confidential information
      2. To stay in compliance
      3. To avoid additional security breaches
      4. To stay authentic

4. Protect email accounts with sender authentication

According to Verizon report 2018Opens a new window , 90% of data breaches involve phishing. Sender authentication using cryptographic standards and protocols helps prevent phishing attacks and protect email accounts against other threats like email spoofing and business email compromise (BEC) Opens a new window by providing a way to verify that an email actually comes from a legitimate sender. The email authentication standards commonly used for making this verification possible are:

1. 1. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) – an open standard that specifies a method for preventing sender address forgery, 
   2. Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) – provides an encryption key and a digital signature that verifies that an email message was not faked or altered, and
   3. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) – unifies mechanisms used in SPF and DKIM, allowing domain owners to declare how they would like an email from that domain to be handled if it fails an authorization test. 

Like any security aspect, in-depth defense is key to effective protection, and sender authentication is no exception. Hence, sender authentication should be implemented as part of a comprehensive cloud email security solution by any organization.

Also Read: What Is Incident Response? Definition, Process, Lifecycle and Planning Best Practices

5. Implement multifactor authentication

Microsoft Office 365 is a popular platform among enterprises, and its email system is now a bigger target for cyber-criminals. According to Cyren and Osterman Research’s report 2019Opens a new window , 40% of Office 365 customers have experienced credential theft, despite its security protection. Therefore, additional protection for Office 365 is required for enterprises to protect from credential phishing attacks and account takeovers. 

Office 365 email security relies upon in-depth defense. Microsoft’s basic email security features, including their Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), are solely dependent on traditional filtering techniques, which are ineffective against today’s targeted, sophisticated, and advanced technological attacks. Thus, an enterprise needs to look for an advanced cloud email security solution that provides additional layers of intuitive, real-time protection and complements the default security provided within Office 365.

In situations where a corporate email account’s credentials are successfully stolen, multifactor authentication (MFA) can prevent an attacker from gaining access to the account and wreaking havoc in the organization.

6. Secure the email gateway

One of the best practices that organizations should put into effect is implementing a secure email gateway. An email gateway scans and processes all incoming and outgoing emails and makes sure that threats are not allowed in.

Secure Email Gateway

As the attacks are growing in sophistication, standard security measures, such as blocking known harmful file attachments, are no longer effective. Hence, a better solution is to deploy a secure email gateway that uses a multi-layered approach, wherein all the email traffic passes through the gateway to ensure its authenticity.

Also Read: Top 10 Ecommerce Fraud Detection and Prevention Best Practices 2021

7. Be prepared for the worst

Having a clear and systematic protocol in place for responding to potential threats can help minimize the damage. For example, if an employee’s email account is compromised, all involved parties must know who to notify. To handle potential cyber-attack, the organization should plan for the worst-case. Do all the parties need to be aware of how to respond to a threat in the case of a breach? Acting fast is critically important in the event of a cyber-attack. Having an exact protocol in place will help eliminate possible confusion or delays – since the more the delay in action, the greater the damage.

8. Team up with an enterprise-level security provider

Teaming up with an expert in the email security industry provides an excellent chance for the enterprise to receive next-generation email protection at a discounted price and other benefits like priority support services, new revenue opportunities, technical, marketing, and sales training, and additional guidance. One such enterprise-level security provider is Guardian Digital that provides a highly advantageous Worldwide Partner Program capable of delivering greater email security and profit benefits.

In conclusion

A robust email security system can help both the organizations and employees create a safe working environment as the email system works in coordination with the enterprise’s overall workflow and processes. Implementing an effective enterprise email security strategy may seem complicated and overwhelming, but prioritizing the fundamentals correctly may prove to be a boon for any organization. Without appropriate email security measures, an organization will always be vulnerable to email-borne threats, regardless of other advanced technology it has deployed.

In what other ways can you improve email security? Comment below or let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We’d love to hear from you!