A secure email gateway acts as a protective barrier between an organization’s internal email system and the outside world. It scans incoming and outgoing emails for potential threats, including malware, phishing attempts, and suspicious attachments.
Organizations can add an extra layer of protection to their email infrastructure by implementing a secure email gateway. These gateways often include features like URL filtering and data loss prevention capabilities. When choosing a secure email gateway solution, organizations should consider factors such as ease of integration, scalability, and the vendor’s track record of addressing emerging threats.
Create Internal Policies and Procedures
Policies and procedures reduce why is seo important for solar companies? errors by eliminating actions that put your organization at risk. This is where you need to tell your employees exactly what they should and shouldn’t do, and work as a team to ensure email security.
There are a few questions to consider when creating employee email policies and procedures. These include:
- Can employees combine personal and work email accounts?
- Is there a correct way to open attachments?
- Are there any dangers in forwarded emails to be aware of?
- What restrictions are there for sending and receiving emails from external parties?
- If an employee believes an email is suspicious, what action do you want them to take?
- If an employee accidentally clicks on a malicious link, what are the next steps?
The final step is to make sure build a winning nurturing strategy all employees are adhering to these policies and know where to go to get answers to any additional questions they may have.
Close and Redirect Former Employees’ Accounts
Closing an account ensures that employees no longer have access to their accounts and your business operations when they leave your organization. That’s why you should regularly review your organization’s accounts and make sure no old employee email accounts are left open by accident. These emails should be forwarded to someone who can complete or delegate the necessary tasks.
Invest in Mobile Device Security
Not all email breaches happen consumer data over the internet, so require employees who use mobile devices to access corporate data to secure their devices with passwords. This adds a layer of protection by preventing immediate access to emails, contacts, and other data.
You can also require these devices to include encrypted storage options. Some mobile devices have these features built in, while Windows laptops will require BitLocker or an alternative solution to be turned on. This will prevent someone from stealing sensitive information by pulling it directly from an extracted hard drive.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) refers to using more than one method to verify a user’s identity, such as login credentials plus a fingerprint, facial recognition scan, or a code sent to another verified device. Adding secondary forms of authentication protects against brute-force password attacks, where a hacker would use software to guess every possible password for your device.
According to Microsoft, MFA can effectively block 99.9% of account compromise attacks, so you may want to consider enforcing MFA usage if you haven’t already.
Regular Employee Training and Awareness
One of the most effective ways to improve email security is through ongoing employee training and awareness programs. Human error continues to be a major factor in email-related security breaches, making it essential to educate staff on potential threats and best practices.
Training should cover topics such as identifying phishing attempts, properly handling sensitive information, and the importance of strong password hygiene. Regular training, simulated phishing exercises, and up-to-date resources can help employees build awareness and identify potential threats. By creating a culture of security awareness, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of successful email-based attacks and data breaches.
Regular Security Audits and Updates
Conducting regular security audits of email systems is important to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with best practices. These audits should cover all aspects of email security, including server configurations, user access controls, and encryption protocols.
In addition to audits, organizations should prioritize keeping their email systems and associated software up to date. This includes promptly applying security patches, updating email clients and servers, and reviewing and adjusting security policies as needed. By taking a proactive approach to email security maintenance, organizations can stay ahead of potential threats and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.