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Email security is the practice of defending email communications from malicious threats and preventing data loss. It requires a combination of technology and end-user awareness training to effectively detect and block harmful emails.
Organizations need email security to defend against cybersecurity threats that disrupt business operations, steal funds, and exfiltrate sensitive information. Email is the primary target for attackers to launch campaigns, accounting for 91% of all cyber attacks, making strong email threat defense essential to an organization’s overall security strategy.
Cybercriminals use many different tactics to hack email, and some methods can cause considerable damage to an organization’s data and/or reputation. The top most frequent email attack types for organizational risk include spear phishing, business email compromise, and spam.
A broad, indiscriminate email attack where criminals send generic emails to large numbers of people and trick them into sharing sensitive information. Often, criminals pose as legitimate sources. Emails typically contain malicious links or attachments designed to steal data or infect systems. Phishing is a form of credential harvesting.
Spear phishing: As the name suggests, it is a targeted attack aimed at specific individuals or organizations. Malicious actors disguise their emails to appear as if they are from a trusted organization. Common tactics include embedding malicious hyperlinks to fake websites or attaching harmful files. When clicked or opened, the malware installs on the user’s device.
How to block spear phishing: Email security solutions detect and block these types of attacks by verifying the authenticity of a sender’s domain address and reputation, inspecting URLs, QR codes, and attachments prior to the email reaching a user’s mailbox.
A form of social engineering where attackers impersonate trusted employees, executives, vendors or partners. Criminals spoof or hack a legitimate user’s email account and use it to send urgent emails requesting wire transfers, sensitive documents, or payment for fake invoices.
How to block BEC: To block BEC attacks, email security solutions can implement industry standard sender authentication protocols, behavior detection for unusual email patterns, and content analysis that identifies social engineering indicators.
Spoofing: A deceptive tactic where attackers alter the sender's address in an email header to mimic a trusted source. The aim is to trick recipients into believing the email is genuine and lead them to disclose sensitive information, click on harmful links, or download infected files. Spoofing is a common form of phishing and BEC attacks.
Also known as junk email, refers to unsolicited messages sent in bulk to a large number of email addresses typically promoting products, services or scams. Spam can also include malware distribution and schemes to trick users into giving up sensitive information or money.
How to block spam: Email security solutions employ filters that inspect the sender’s reputation and analyze email content for known indicators of compromise, automatically flagging suspicious email as spam.
Email security provides essential benefits that enhance business protection, efficiency, and compliance.
Brand Protection: Safeguard an organization’s brand reputation by preventing phishing attacks that can impersonate the organization and tarnish its image.
Business Continuity: Ensures the reliable and uninterrupted flow of email communication by filtering out spam and blocking malicious emails, it reduces the risk of IT system disruption and damage to sensitive data.
Increased Employee Productivity: Effective email security reduces the amount of spam and phishing emails that reach employees' inboxes, leading to improved productivity as employees spend less time dealing with unwanted or dangerous messages.
Maintain Compliance: Securely send and receive sensitive information while preventing unauthorized access to meet data protection regulations.
Email is commonly used to deliver ransomware attacks. Phishing-based ransomware attacks are highly effective because they exploit human vulnerability and curiosity.
In a ransomware phishing attack, the hackers send fraudulent emails to potential victims, enticing them to open malicious attachments or click on malicious links. When an unsuspecting recipient engages with the phishing content, the ransomware payload is deployed onto their system or the organization’s servers. The payload encrypts files and renders these resources inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attacker leading to data loss and potential financial loss. .
An effective email security solution should incorporate multi-layered advanced threat detection and prevention features to protect against a range of attack types, integrate with data loss prevention solutions, and include security awareness training. Here are some common aspects to keep in mind when selecting an email security solution:
Implementing strong email security practices is vital to protecting your organization from threats. Here are key strategies to enhance email security:
Email Security Policy: Develop a clear email security policy to guide employees on safe email usage. Include the following key protocols:
Strong Passwords: Require employees to use complex, unique passwords for email accounts. Passwords should include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols to make them harder to crack, protecting against unauthorized access.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Requires users to provide two or more verification factors, such as a password and a temporary code sent to a mobile device. This adds an additional layer of security, reducing the risk of compromised accounts even if a password is stolen.
Regular Software Updates: To keep email clients, operating systems, and antivirus programs up to date ensures that any newly discovered vulnerabilities are patched. Cybercriminals often exploit outdated software, so updates help prevent these security gaps from being leveraged in attacks.
Trellix Email Security leverages a powerful combination of advanced technologies and a deep understanding of the threat landscape to provide comprehensive protection against a wide range of email-borne attacks. Here's what sets Trellix apart:
Trellix offers a suite of products designed to address the evolving email security landscape:
Trellix's approach to email security goes beyond traditional solutions, offering a comprehensive and proactive defense against evolving threats. Through advanced technologies, a deep understanding of the threat landscape, and a commitment to continuous innovation, Trellix empowers organizations to secure their email communications and collaborate with confidence.