Email Security

If you’d like to focus on running your business and not be hassled by IT issues, contact the team at Managed BITS, from left: Kris Evans, Nicolas Rocks, James Tardio and Michael Bellingham.

In the business world, emails are a staple of everyday communication, however, they are also one of the biggest risks to the security of an IT network.

Spam emails account for around 50 per cent of all email traffic. While much of this may be harmless advertising, many of these emails are far more harmful and can cause serious damage.

Phishing scams and malware are two of the most common forms of malicious emails.

This is often achieved by someone impersonating a legitimate company/person and sending an email that asks you to follow a link to a fake site, request private information or to download an attachment.

Links and attachments can be particularly dangerous, as viruses and ransomware are commonly distributed this way.

There are a few easy to follow rules that will help minimise the risk of getting caught out by these emails.

1. Don’t click on links or attachments in emails, unless you are completely sure they are legitimate.

If an email is asking for you to log in or download an invoice for example, instead of following the link, log into your account via the actual website and download from there.

2. If you’re unsure on the nature of an email, check with your IT team. They can help provide more information on the legitimacy of an email. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

3. If an email asks you to update bank details to pay an invoice, call the client first to confirm.

4. No legitimate company will ask you to pay via gift cards. This applies to scam phone calls as well.

5. Don’t trust a Display Name. Just because the sender’s name shows as expected, this doesn’t mean they’re legitimate. Hover over the sender’s display name and the email address they are sending from should display. Use this to help determine if the sender is genuine.

6. Have a unique, secure password for accounts.

Don’t use the same password for everything. If one account becomes compromised, then all your accounts could be.

7. Look into third party anti-spam solutions. These solutions can scan your emails for malware and run various checks to determine the legitimacy of the sender and likelihood of spam before it even reaches your inbox.

For any additional information on how email security at your organisation could be improved, please feel free to contact Managed BITS – Your Business IT Systems manager on 5614 5488. all