Tips to keep your business emails protected

Running a business is hard enough without dealing with the myriad security threats that are around today.

There are a wide range of potential issues to consider, however a deceptively easy way for outside actors or hackers to infiltrate your business is simply through emails.

Email threats have been around for some time, but still pose a significant danger to many businesses simply down to the fact many of them are simple and effective. However it is also fairly easy to try and combat falling victim to such threats, and we’ve listed a few of our top tips below to help keep you and your business protected.

Tips to keep your business emails protected

Use Strong Passwords: Your email account password should be long, unique, and complex. It is best to use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable passwords like your name, birthdate, or common words.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your email account by requiring a second form of identification, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password.
Be Cautious of Phishing Emails: Phishing emails are designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information, such as your email login credentials. Be suspicious of emails that ask you to click on a link, download an attachment, or enter your login information.
Keep Your Software Updated: Make sure your email client, antivirus software, and operating system are up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
Use Encrypted Connections: When accessing your email account, use a secure connection such as HTTPS, which encrypts your data and makes it more difficult for hackers to intercept.
Be Careful with Email Attachments: Malicious attachments can contain viruses, malware, or other types of harmful software. Always scan email attachments for viruses before downloading them.
Use a Secure Email Service: Choose an email service provider that offers strong security features, such as end-to-end encryption and spam filtering.
Educate Your Employees: Make sure your employees understand the risks of email security and how to avoid common threats such as phishing emails and malware attachments.

Steer clear of spam

Email spam is nothing new – the first spam message was sent in 1978 when the Internet was still in its infancy – but it has remained a thorn in the side of users ever since, clogging up inboxes for millions of us.

Most email clients offer some kind of spam filtering tools, but if you need that extra boost in making sure your inbox stays streamlined, then help is at hand.

Look for antispam services that are able to filter irrelevant messages from your inbox. Available for a range of local email clients, including the likes of Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, the tool should help keep irrelevant messages far away from your attention, letting you focus on the emails that matter.

Beware phishing

Phishing is another long-standing form of email scam, as hackers look to trick victims into handing over personal information or financial details by using legitimate-looking emails hiding malicious links.

These scams have evolved a huge amount in recent years, with criminals now often using real company branding and imagery to fool users into clicking on links that are definitely not what they seem, and could leave you losing out huge amounts.

A range of tools to make you stay protected from all the latest threats, including an advanced filtering system that warns you whenever you visit websites that may try to scam you, and advanced anti-phishing protection that helps sniff out and block any malicious websites in order to steal your financial data, passwords or credit card numbers.

Make sure all of your devices are safe

As technology has become increasingly portable, many of us are now checking our emails on a number of different devices, whether that’s checking work emails on our personal phone or PC, or vice versa.

As useful as this may be, it does raise potential security concerns, as you may let down your guard when using a personal device – which may also simply lack the same amount of security protection that your employer-granted, remotely-monitored work device may do.

Fortunately, good security (opens in new tab) can help protect and secure all your devices, as the platform works across multiple software versions, including Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It can be used across up to 15 devices per household, making sure your home office remains safe against threats.