Cyberattacks can strike at any time and without relent. Though there are countless systems that criminals may try to exploit, the universal reach of email makes it one of the most popular targets of all.
Over half of all emails sent are classified as spam. While most of them get picked up by any decent spam filter, it’s the ones that do make it through that are the problem. Among the most dangerous threats are targeted social engineering scams, some of which use compromised, but otherwise legitimate email accounts to build trust and evade the security controls.
Why do you need managed IT services to protect your email?
There are many steps you can take to protect your business email systems, but it goes far beyond simply relying on an everyday spam filter. Every approach to security should incorporate multiple layers of protection spanning areas like user access control, antimalware, and spam filtering. Moreover, given the complexities of enterprise email, businesses also need to maintain a complete audit trail of all logins and messages sent and received.
Addressing these challenges at scale simply isn’t practical if you’re only relying on consumer-grade solutions. Taking a manual approach to email auditing and management is also not a viable option for the average business, which likely has dozens or even hundreds of different email accounts to look after. That said, this is one of the many areas where managed services providers (MSPs) can come in handy.
How a managed IT services provider can help keep your email systems safe
#1. Enterprise-grade spam filtering
Consumer-grade spam filters, such as those found in popular services like Gmail and Hotmail, might do a reasonable job of protecting personal email accounts, but they can’t address the challenges of scale in today’s typical business environments. Working with an MSP provides access to a fully managed cloud-based spam filtering service that will provide granular control over your filter settings. This will help reduce false positives, as well as protect your systems from a multitude of new and emerging threats.
#2. Protection against phishing attacks
Almost all successful cyberattacks include a social engineering element, which typically starts with a phishing email. While spam filters usually do a pretty good job of picking out the more common phishing scams, they might not be so effective in identifying the impersonations used in more complex and targeted attacks. Encrypted emails help prevent unwanted people snooping on sensitive information sent via email, but a dependable MSP can also protect your email systems by deploying data loss prevention (DLP) services that automatically prevent users from sending restricted information via email.
#3. Attachment and link scanning
Although most malicious emails rely on social engineering tactics to dupe would-be victims into taking a desired action, some also include malicious links and attachments. These links may lead to malicious websites asking for things like login details while masquerading as ones belonging to legitimate companies. Other emails may have attachments containing malicious code. That’s why you need enterprise-grade antimalware in place to stop such threats from ever making it through to your network in the first place.
#4. Training and email management
Of course, technological solutions are vital for protecting your business from the multitude of threats out there, but they cannot be relied on entirely. While encrypted emails, artificial intelligence, automation, and other cutting-edge solutions can greatly reduce the burden on security teams, they can never completely replace the need for proper training and management. Many MSPs provide security awareness training as well, to help your employees better identify the most advanced threats that do sometimes make it through, such as targeted spear-phishing attacks.
#5. 24/7 email continuity and availability
Like major app suites like Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps, email has been an essential business tool for decades, and that’s not likely to change. Email accounts often contain critical information, such as customer records, important attachments, calendar appointments, and more, making encryption an essential element of your email protection efforts. While encrypted emails provide protection against cyberattacks, there are also threats from human error and technological failures that need to be considered. Working with a dependable MSP can guarantee 24/7 continuity and availability, complete with automated archiving of your email and calendar data as demanded by company policy and compliance regulations.
Charles IT provides a full suite of email solutions that help you work more efficiently while also ensuring greater efficiency and security. Contact us today to schedule a consultation call.
