EMAIL PROTECTION: Why Is It Important

You may not comprehend the essence of email security until you hear about or experience email hacking. Email hacking is one of the major cyber attacks in the digital world, and it extends to infiltrating one’s email and getting vital information. There are many reasons discussed in this article as to why email protection is important. Furthermore, you will learn about the email protection software and tools out there to help secure yours.

What Is Email Protection?

Email protection refers to the practice of implementing a variety of security measures in email communications and accounts in order to prevent unauthorized access to private information. It enables a company or individual to secure overall access to one or more email accounts.

Email protection safeguards the content of an email account or service, which is a common medium for the spread of malware, spam, and phishing attacks. This is typically accomplished through the use of deceptive messages that entice recipients to divulge sensitive information, open attachments, or click on hyperlinks that install malware on the victim’s device.

For extensive attacks and fraud schemes, common email protection mechanisms such as basic, reputation-based, anti-spam, and signature-based antivirus are adequate. Yet, they are insufficient for protecting against more targeted, sophisticated, and advanced threats. A people-centric strategy is required for effective email protection. From the perspective of an end user, some of the proactive email protective measures include:

1. Spam detectors
2. Strong passwords
3. Anti-virus software for the device

What Are The Common Types Of Email Attacks?

The following are some of the potential email attacks:

#1. EAC (Email Account Compromise)

One of the most successful methods for attackers to take over a valid email account is through EAC. By taking control of the right account, the intruder can move around the victim’s network, steal data, or scam business partners and customers.

The majority of email assaults involve some form of identity theft or impersonation. The attacker may attempt to imitate the appearance of a valid email using a variety of phishing and spoofing techniques—or, in the case of EAC, by assuming control of a legitimate account. The attacker goes ahead and persuades the victim to open an attachment, click a link, and do other things by appearing as someone the recipient may trust.

#2. Dangerous email attachments

While cyber thieves’ attack methods have developed, certain traditional approaches, such as infected attachments, continue to be effective. Malicious attachments can take the shape of executable files, weaponized documents (such as Microsoft Word documents with a malicious macro), or malicious code disguised within other file types. 

Other types of email attacks include Harzadous URLs and business email compromises. Email attackers frequently include a URL that directs users to web-hosted malware. Business email compromise, on the other hand, is a type of attack that uses social engineering to deceive the victim into taking action, such as moving money or submitting sensitive information.

What Are The Reason For Email Protection—Why Is It Important?

Email is a common route of attack. As a result, both companies and individuals must protect their email accounts against frequent cyberattacks that aim to gain unauthorized access to the accounts. Email protection is important for the following reasons:

#1. It is an easy target for cybercriminals

Employees receive their official email account as soon as they join any company. They utilize their individual email addresses to obtain company information and communicate with coworkers on a daily basis. 

Email is used as a medium for all official communications to and from the company. As a result, when workers work remotely, like in the case of the pandemic in 2020, they virtually always utilize their official emails to communicate. Such conversations are susceptible, and employees risk being targeted by cybercriminals. 

#2. Cybercriminals employ high-level techniques

The growth of technology in online security systems can also strengthen cyber-criminals and hackers, as they use increasingly sophisticated tactics to penetrate various protection firewalls. 

AI fuzzing (AIF) and machine learning poisoning (MLP) are two approaches that allow hackers to automate cyber-attacks. Furthermore, cybercriminals can attack numerous cloud vulnerabilities, causing harm to an organization’s workflow, profitability, image, and industry credibility.

#3. Organizations get to safeguard sensitive information.

Email protection is important because sensitive information is safeguarded. The secret information of the corporation may contain highly sensitive intel that can be utilized against the organization or for illegal purposes. Cybercriminals can also target daily communication and modify messages, causing confusion and forcing communicators (workers) to divulge or conceal vital information. 

Such forgery can lead to identity theft, which can lead to the compromise of critical information. Employees and companies must remember that cyber-criminals only need a little gap in security to imperil the entire workflow. Never allow them!

#4. A simple breach can have a large impact

A simple security flaw in an email might allow deadly viruses or spyware to infiltrate the whole communication network, spreading havoc throughout the enterprise. The scenario deteriorates when the organization’s network is infected with lethal ransomware. 

Even seasoned specialists and competent employees can be taken advantage of. In the case of a personal vendetta, these cyber criminals may potentially leak important information by making it public or selling it to bidders. 

Email Protection Software Service

All of the above dangers are serious enough for any organization, which is why it is important to implement effective email protective measures. Organizations can also use protection service providers, which offer strong and improved email security as well as the web security in general. 

Here is a list of well-known email protection software that you may want to consider:

#1. Symantec

In the field of anti-malware software for businesses, Symantec is a well-known and respected name. The company has spent the past few years transitioning its primary security system into one that is based on AI and provides endpoint protection. Symantec Messaging Gateway is the name of the on-premises email protection software that the business develops and sells.

Symantec’s key features are phishing block, spam filter and cloud-based. The migration into the cloud by Symantec with its email protection software is typical of the industry. These “edge services” relieve a significant portion of the client company’s network and server burden, freeing up resources for other purposes. Because one of this software’s functions is to filter out spam, it significantly reduces the volume of email traffic that comes on the network.

Pros

• It provides on-premise as well as saaS-hosted email protection service
• Uses artificial intelligence to improve email and endpoint security
• Easy to set up

Cons

• The software may restrict shared IP addresses, affecting your genuine mail flow.

#2. Sophos 

A virtual computer, an appliance, or a cloud service are all options for Sophos Email Security. The service examines emails that are sent and received. Outbound email checks prevent data loss, while inbound traffic monitoring stops attempts to distribute spam emails, phishing scams, and viruses. Furthermore, users can opt to have the tool encrypt all emails and/or their attachments for transmission security.

The appliance-based solution’s functionality is restricted to safeguarding your on-premises email server. Both your on-premises email servers and cloud-based servers, like Office 365, can be protected by the cloud-based service. The key features offered by Sophos are deployment options, spam filters, and data loss prevention.

Pros

• Installation can be virtual, cloud-based or on-premise
• Can retrieve deleted emails and serve as a data loss prevention tool
• Protects against internal and external threats

Cons

• Reporting seems generic and offers no customization
• No active Directory integrations that support user deletion.

#3.Trustifi

Next on the list of well-known email protection software is Trustifi. You don’t need to host the threat detection system on your own servers because Trustifi integrates with your email platform in the form of a plug-in. The fact that this email protection software can also be incorporated into Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 is the feature that stands out the most.

The plug-in triggers scanning processes that look through all incoming emails and search through their contents. For the most part, the program relies on AI-based detection processes to identify malicious software. Furthermore, it searches for impersonation and spam attempts in addition to looking for links that lead to phony and infected websites.

Pros

• The account setup system manages the installation of the appropriate plug-in into your email system. This means that you can customize the security system to meet the needs of certain data protection standards such as HIPAA, DSS, PCI, and GDPR. 
• It is compatible with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
• Offers instant check from an external server

Cons

• No free trial

#4. Avanan

Avanan provides a number of email protection software packages, all of which include the Account Takeover Protection technology. The Account Takeover Protection module handles an important but often forgotten email server administrative duty. It is to automatically delete accounts that have been abandoned or compromised. 

Advanced Anti-Phishing, Comprehensive Malware and Enterprise Cloud Security are the Avanan editions. These three packages are all designed to safeguard cloud-based mail servers, specifically the G-Suite Gmail server and the Office 365 mail server.

Pros

• Account breach is detected through behavioral analysis
• Automatically deactivates accounts that are inactive or compromised

Cons

• Additional security features like anti-pishing are available as a premium package
• Short trial period

#5.  N- able

N-able Mail Assure protects against viruses, spam, malware, ransomware, phishing, and virtually every other sort of email threat. The system protects both incoming and outgoing emails, and features such as the system’s authentication mechanisms assist in keeping everyone’s mailbox safe. N-able Mail Assure also enables connectivity with Office 365 and limitless mail archiving.

While N-able may provide a free email protection software trial with no payment required, they do not provide a price without a direct estimate from their sales team. Some consumers may be put off by this, but it all depends on what you’re looking for in terms of mail protection.

Pros

• Offers integration with Office 365 and unlimited mail archiving
• Protection both for incoming and outgoing emails.

Cons 

• No price offer without first getting a direct quote 
• The software has too many features which will take some time to explore

#6. Barracuda

Barracuda, a cloud-based security program, protects users from dangerous attacks. They include malware, phishing schemes, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and spam. Because Barracuda also encrypts and protects e-mail attachments, you won’t have to worry about your email account being hacked.

Customers can pick between three unique plan categories from Barracuda: advanced, premium, and premium plus. However, the company does not make its pricing information public, making it difficult to compare similar solutions with other prominent email protection software providers.

Pros

• It automates incident response and gives remediation solutions to solve problems more quickly and efficiently.
• Provides Security Awareness Training, transforming employees from potential email security risks to a strong line of defense against harmful phishing assaults.
• Prevents business email compromise, account takeover, spear phishing, and other forms of cyber fraud.
• It is a comprehensive cloud-based solution that blends artificial intelligence and deep integration with Microsoft Office 365.

Cons

• Regrettably, the company does not publicly disclose its pricing, making it difficult to compare with other top email protection software suppliers.

#7. Kaspersky

Another email protection software service is Kaspersky. It is an on-premises Mail Server option. The software, however, can also be installed on Microsoft Azure servers. Despite this, it’s not a cloud-based service. The software operates as a gateway, receiving all mail first, filtering out junk mail, and forwarding the rest to the email server for regular processing.

Pros

• Offered both on-premises and on Microsoft Azure
•  It provides edge access control without granting access to a third party
• Scans viruses and suspicious keywords

Cons

• When compared to newer models, the interface feels old.
• It takes quite a bit of tweaking to get it to work properly sometimes.

#8.  SpanTitan

SpamTitan is a software service for protecting email that is mostly used by businesses and other large organizations. It protects against malware, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, spam, and other threats. SpamTitan also has specialized screening techniques, data leak prevention, and email encryption.

Although SpamTitan’s cost starts at a steep $37.50 a month, the features are definitely worth the premium. This is especially true for companies that use Office365, which works well with this mail service provider because it connects to it easily.

The only thing SpamTitan lacks is a phone or web-based tech assistance, which is a bit surprising given that mail attacks demand immediate intervention.

How Do You Choose The Right Email Protection Service?

Even after evaluating the email security services listed above, you may still feel unsure about how to select the best email protection software for yourself or your company. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for email protection, there are some factors that can assist anyone to select which system to choose. 

When choosing protection services for your mailbox, go for the one that:

1. Includes anti-pishing
2. Is simple to set up 
3. Offers excellent protection
4. Integrates with your other business tools
5. Data encryption is configurable to match your needs

What Is The Most Effective Email Protection Software?

Email security is not a one-size-fits-all solution, hence there is no single best email protection software available. Instead, consumers should hunt for a solution that fits all of their requirements at a reasonable cost.

Why Do I Need Email Protection?

Almost 90% of all cyber attacks now begin with a single email. This means that mailbox security is more crucial than ever before in order to protect your inbox and personal data.

How Can Email Systems Be Protected?

Edge services provide the most powerful email protection technologies. They serve as your users’ public-facing inboxes, accepting all incoming mail and routing outgoing emails. This cloud-based service stops malware from reaching your endpoints and also allows you to filter out spam and phishing attempts via domain and IP address blacklisting and text scanning.

Conclusion

Email protection is a critical component of data security in today’s organizations. Since employee accounts can be compromised and users can be duped, prevention techniques must be implemented. In addition to these protective measures, email must be archivable for legal, regulatory, and other commercial purposes.

While email storage is cheap and email can be swiftly scanned, aggregated, and analyzed, digital archiving is difficult since files are only as archivable as the systems that contain them. To ensure long-term secure access to email storage, certain approaches must be utilized.

Related Posts

1. What Is A Data Breach? How To Prevent It
2. Remote Work Security Threats: What Do You Need to Know
3. TEXTING SPAM: Meaning, Examples & How to Stop It

Reference

• Barracuda.com
• Proofpoint.com
• Spiceworks.com
• Comparitech.com
• Clean email