Cybercriminals are growing more cunning by the day-ta. In fact, cybercrime is predicted to increase to a $6 trillion annual enterprise by 2021, making it more profitable than the global illegal drug trade. Unlike the drug trade, however, we are all potential victims of cybercriminal ploys.

One of the easiest and most common ways for cybercriminals to gain access to your sensitive data is by attacking your inbox. That’s why if you want to stay protected in today’s IT landscape, you need to start by bolstering your email defenses. Wondering how? Let’s get started with a few basic email security practices.

Understanding Encryption

If you want to ensure that your email communications remain private, one of the simplest ways is through encryption. With encrypted email communication, only the sender and recipient are able to view the data, meaning that eavesdroppers will be unable to intercept your messages. Depending on your email service provider, your messages may already be encrypted.

For businesses, we typically recommend using end-to-end encryption that messages cannot be read or modified while in-transit. If you already have an email service and you aren’t sure what kind of encryption you’re using, you can use the tool CheckTLS to see if or how your emails are being encrypted.

Email Filters

Chances are, your email service comes with a built-in spam filter. While these filters are typically effective at blocking the majority of spam that targets your inbox, you may notice that specific emails repeatedly get through. Instead of individually removing them, you can create a custom filter that filters these emails out for you.

Depending on your email service, you may be able to filter emails by sender, domain name, subject line, or email contents. By creating custom filters for your inbox, you can keep yourself and your organization protected from threats by blocking them from your inbox altogether.

Second-Chance Programs

Many phishing attacks work because they get victims to click on a link without even thinking about it. One way to defend against reactive link clicking is to install a second-chance program on your email program. These programs work by asking users if they’re sure they want to follow a particular link after they click it. By giving users a second chance to look over the details of the email and the link, it becomes much easier to spot targeted phishing attacks before following through and clicking the link.

Managing Passwords

Password management has become fundamental to not just securing your inbox, but also everything technology related from your phone to your bank account. Online email clients are a frequent target for cybercriminals. Weak passwords can quickly be breached by cybercriminals using complex algorithms, leaving your account vulnerable. Just adding an additional level of complexity by incorporating a few random symbols or numbers can go a long way to bolstering your email security. On top of that, regularly changing your passwords on a monthly or bimonthly basis dramatically reduces your risk of a security breach.

IT Support Springfield, MO

Ready to take your inbox security measures to the next level? The network security experts at PCNet have the hands-on experience to keep you protected in an ever-changing security landscape. Whether you need a disaster recovery platform or managed IT services, contact our team of experts today, and we’ll help you take the next step to bolstering your defense while preparing you for the challenges of tomorrow.