Securing Your Business Emails

Tightening Email Security

Email remains one of the primary modes of communication for businesses. However, with the ubiquity of email comes an increased risk of cyberattacks, often in the form of phishing attempts or malicious emails containing harmful attachments or links. To safeguard their operations and protect sensitive data, it is crucial for businesses to implement secure email solutions and robust spam filtering mechanisms.

Secure Business Email Accounts

One fundamental step in securing email communication is to ensure that all employees use company-provided email accounts that are directed through the company domain and associated with a reputable business-grade email provider, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. These platforms offer several advantages over free, consumer-grade email services.

Firstly, business email accounts provide enhanced security features and spam filtering capabilities tailored for organizational use. These built-in protections help to detect and block a significant portion of malicious emails before they even reach employee inboxes.

Secondly, by centrally managing employee email accounts within a corporate domain, businesses maintain control over access and data ownership. This becomes particularly important when employees leave the company, as personal email accounts can create situations where the former employee retains access to potentially sensitive business communications and data.

The Role of Spam Filtering

While business email providers offer basic spam filtering, these baseline protections may not be sufficient to catch the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by cybercriminals. This is where dedicated spam filtering solutions come into play.

Spam filters are designed to analyze incoming emails and identify those that exhibit characteristics associated with phishing attempts, malware distribution, or other malicious activities. These solutions leverage advanced techniques, such as machine learning and regularly updated threat intelligence, to detect and block harmful emails before they can cause any damage.

By implementing robust spam filtering, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of employees inadvertently falling victim to phishing scams or opening malicious attachments or links. This not only helps to protect sensitive data and maintain business continuity but also reduces the potential for costly data breaches and associated regulatory penalties.

Working with an IT Professional

While some businesses may attempt to set up secure email accounts and spam filtering solutions independently, working with an experienced IT professional is often the recommended approach. IT professionals bring expertise in configuring and optimizing these systems for maximum effectiveness and can ensure that all necessary security measures are properly implemented.

Additionally, IT professionals can assist in selecting and deploying advanced spam filtering solutions that offer higher levels of protection beyond the basic capabilities provided by email service providers. 

These third-party solutions, while relatively inexpensive — typically $2-$3 per user per month — can provide a significant return on investment by preventing costly security incidents.

Keeping Ahead of the Threat Landscape

It’s important to note that the threat landscape is constantly evolving, with cybercriminals continuously developing new tactics and techniques to bypass security measures. As such, businesses must remain vigilant and regularly review their email security posture, ensuring that spam filtering solutions are kept up-to-date with the latest threat intelligence.

By prioritizing secure business email accounts, implementing robust spam filtering solutions, and collaborating with experienced IT professionals, businesses can significantly reduce their exposure to email-based threats. This proactive approach not only helps to safeguard sensitive data and maintain business continuity but also demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity best practices, ultimately enhancing trust and confidence among customers, partners, and stakeholders.

To find out more about the best practices for agencies to ensure their email accounts are secure across the entire business, tune in to this episode of The Progressive Agency Podcast to hear more from the President of Right Click Computer Solutions, Brett Harrison, on cybersecurity and safeguarding your agency.