Email is one of the most widely used modes of communication in a business, but it can also be the least secure. Company inboxes are often targeted by cybercriminals seeking to obtain private data about your business and your clients.
A data breach can seriously harm the reputation of your business. To prevent this from happening, make sure you implement these five crucial ways to secure your inbox.
1) Add two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication describes the process of double verification of identity when signing into an account. Instead of just typing in a password, an email account with two-factor authentication will also prompt a user for a phone number or fingerprint.
Passwords are easy for scammers to get their hands on. Still, without the employee’s cell phone, they won’t be able to get past the second verification. This is especially important for remote employees using a public wifi connection, or a shared computer.
Of course, two-factor authentication only works when employees log out of their email when they’re away from their device; make sure employees understand the risks of failing to do so.
2) Use encryption on emails
Encrypting your company’s emails is one of the best ways to ensure email data is protected, even in the event of a cyber attack. Encrypting data essentially transforms it into jumbled code that hackers can’t read without a key.
Stolen email data that hasn’t been encrypted will give hackers access to sensitive data, which may include:
- Financial information, such as credit card numbers
- Personal data
- Business data
While encryption isn’t foolproof, it’s certainly close. To get the most out of encryption, the key to the code must be long and complicated to prevent it from being broken. IT services in Choctaw, OK can help you set up email encryption for your business.
3) Never send private information over email
While encryption is an essential step towards inbox security, one of the most straightforward ways to prevent data from being stolen through email hacking is to avoid having any sensitive data available to steal in the first place.
Ensure that employees are aware of the types of information that are safe to send—both internally and externally—over email and what conversations are best done over the phone or in person.
Employees should never provide banking information, usernames, and passwords through email. If employees need regular access to a changing password, consider getting password manager software for the office.
4) Avoid phishing scams and opening unknown attachments
A phishing scam describes the process through which a hacker impersonates a legitimate organization—such as a bank or government branch—and uses this identity to request personal information. Emails may also have attachments that are full of viruses intended to steal company data.
The best way to prevent employees from opening and responding to these is to educate them on recognizing a phishing scam and what to do if they receive one. Understanding that they will compromise the company’s reputation if customer data gets into the hands of hackers will keep employees more vigilant.
5) Add spam filters
Adding a spam filter plug-in will prevent phishing attempts from getting to employees in the first place. These filters will scan emails for viruses and even identify phishing attempts.
However, these filters won’t block everything. Combining this strategy with employee training, encryption, and two-factor authentication is necessary to secure your inbox optimally.