Are you putting your business at risk?
Email is the backbone of many small businesses, but it’s also one of the biggest cybersecurity risks facing Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs) today. Cybercriminals are targeting SMBs because they’re easier to penetrate than large organisations with well-funded security teams. Many SMBs rely on free or inexpensive email services that don’t have the tools to protect against cyber threats like malware, ransomware and phishing.
Mail Assure has noted a significant increase in new phishing campaigns since the outbreak of COVID-19 back in 2020. According to an N-Able® report, email accounts for 94% of malware delivery methods, 53% of Microsoft 365™ attacks are due to phishing, and 85% of organisations have experienced a phishing attack or social engineering attack.
Email is the most popular form of communication in today’s business world. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large corporation, small business or sole proprietor; email is used by everyone in your organisation to communicate with customers, colleagues, suppliers and partners.
Email has become a primary target for cybercriminals because it can be used to steal sensitive data such as financial information, intellectual property (IP) and personally identifiable information (PII). Because of this, cybersecurity threats are on the rise as malware attacks increase and hackers search for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities in email systems.
Hackers can steal information from your inbox, use your business email address to trick employees, and more.
Email is a simple way to steal information, trick employees, and affect business operations. Hackers can use your business email address to trick others into giving them access to confidential files or sensitive data. If you’re not careful about how you respond to emails from unfamiliar senders, you could accidentally infect yourself with malware. And even if you don’t open an attachment that comes through in an email from someone you know and trust, it may be enough for hackers to gain access to your computer—which means they could easily steal your money or identity once they’re inside!
Email has been around so long that people tend not to think twice about using it as a communication tool at work—and that makes it easy for hackers looking for weak spots in their defences. The solution isn’t just avoiding the inbox; instead of sending sensitive documents over email (or even talking about them on a call), try using cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Then make sure only highly trusted employees have access, when necessary, by setting up restrictive permissions on those accounts so nobody else can get hold of sensitive data without authorisation first!
As mentioned earlier, cybercriminals are targeting SMBs because they’re easier to penetrate than large organisations with well-funded security teams. The reason for this is simple: SMBs are more likely to use free email services, which often have lax security measures, and they don’t have the resources to invest in high-quality security solutions.
Additionally, SMBs tend not to adopt two-factor authentication (2FA) on their accounts—a common way for companies to keep their data safe online—because it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth for them. As a result, hackers can compromise an SMB’s account by simply guessing the password or sending an email that includes a link that leads directly into their inboxes without any additional steps required on the part of the user.
Many SMBs rely on free or inexpensive email services that don’t have the tools to protect against cyber threats like malware, ransomware and phishing scams.
Email security is an important part of cybersecurity. As such, it’s a shared responsibility between your business and the email provider. Many SMBs rely on free or inexpensive email services that don’t have the tools to protect against cyber threats.
So, what are your options?
If your SMB has five employees or fewer, an in-house system may be viable if you know what you’re doing when it comes to IT. If your company grows beyond those initial five employees though, then trying to maintain your server will become increasingly difficult—and dangerous—as time goes on.
That’s where Mail Assure can become your business’s new best friend. Mail Assure is a cloud-based email security solution that helps you to stay in control and protect your inbound and outbound email using collective threat intelligence, 24/7 email continuity and long-term email archiving. The key services include:
- Incoming filter: Designed to protect against spam, viruses, ransomware, phishing, malware and other email threats.
- Outgoing filtering: Abuse management designed to help avoid business interruptions and maintain a clean IP reputation.
- Email Continuity: Keep email available 27/4 with built-in email continuity; at no additional cost.
- Email archiving: Encrypted email backup for long-term data storage.
The bottom line: With email being the primary tool for business communication, it’s important to take steps to protect your organisation.
The good news is that Mail Assure can help you to protect your business from the cyber threats that lurk around every digital corner.
Download our email security Tip Sheet or Contact us today for a consultation and protect your business.
