E-mail has been the dominant means of electronic communication in the business world for decades now. More recently, criminal organizations have used e-mail to launch cyber attacks at both businesses and consumers. In addition to this, software vendor password breaches have provided criminal organizations with credentials that they use for unauthorized to access to e-mail accounts. So, what can you do to secure your e-mail?
A good cyber security approach involves multiple layers of defense to protect your information and e-mail security is no different.
A good cyber security approach involves multiple layers of defense to protect your information and e-mail security is no different.
- Make sure your devices are locked with a password or PIN so that only you can access them. This is a quick and easy way to block access to your e-mail application.
- Make sure you use a unique set of credentials for all your e-mail accounts. Don’t reuse the passwords because a password breach of an online vendor may result in these credentials being used to access your e-mail account. Using a password manager makes this a much simpler process.
- Be careful when opening an e-mail attachment or link even if it’s coming from someone you know. If something seems off, then contact them to confirm the content of the e-mail message. Cyber security education is a way to keep on top of the various methods of cyber attacks and what are the current best practices to follow.
- As much as possible, keep confidential and proprietary information out of the e-mail. Sending a secure link to an attachment in Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive is a great way to secure attachments. Additionally, collaboration software like Microsoft Teams allows you to secure content within the platform and determine who can access it.
- For small businesses, ensure your e-mail is being hosted and managed by a reputable vendor with a security team in place to monitor and actively manage the e-mail infrastructure. Services like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are reasonably priced services and bundle their e-mail services with other business applications.
