Email is an essential tool for communication in organizations across industries, but it is also a primary attack vector for cybercriminals. Over 376 billion emails are sent every single day, and over 90% of malware is delivered via email, according to Verizon. To combat this rapidly evolving threat landscape, organizations must proactively address email security challenges. This e-guide offers an in-depth understanding of the email security landscape, actionable guidance on implementing and maintaining robust email security solutions, and an overview of leading email security solutions.
Understanding the latest email security trends and challenges is essential for organizations to defend against emerging threats. The most common and emerging email security trends include phishing and spear-phishing attacks, ransomware attacks via email, business email compromise (BEC) attacks, insider threats, supply chain attacks, and an increase in remote work. To address these threats, organizations must prioritize employee training and awareness, anti-spam and anti-phishing filters, email authentication protocols, multi-factor authentication (MFA), secure email gateway (SEG), email encryption, monitoring and logging email activity, email security policies, and incident response planning.
Implementing these email security solutions effectively and keeping them up-to-date can significantly reduce risks associated with email-based attacks and ensure email environments remain secure. Employee training and awareness are crucial for minimizing human error, and anti-spam and anti-phishing filters are vital for identifying and blocking malicious emails before they reach users’ inboxes. Email authentication protocols, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, help prevent spoofing and ensure the integrity of email communications. MFA adds an extra layer of security, and an SEG inspects and filters inbound and outbound email traffic for threats. Email encryption protects the confidentiality of email content during transit and storage, and monitoring and logging email activity help detect anomalies and potential security incidents. Email security policies guide employees’ behavior and set expectations for secure email practices, and an incident response plan ensures a swift and effective response to minimize damage and prevent future attacks.
Choosing the right email security solution is critical for safeguarding an organization’s email environment effectively. The process and decision criteria for selecting the most suitable email security solution based on an organization’s specific needs include assessing the organization’s unique requirements, identifying key features, evaluating vendor offerings and capabilities, and selecting a solution that aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives. Typical organization profiles are outlined, along with the ideal email security solutions for each. By proactively addressing email security challenges and selecting the right email security solution, organizations can ensure their email environments remain secure.