Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated by the day and attacks are getting more frequent. The risks of employees accidentally clicking on a link or opening an attachment are therefore increasing.
The best way to defend your business against email phishing and other types of cyber-attacks, is to adopt a multi-level approach.
Level 1 – Prevention
The first line of defence would be to prevent phishing and other spam emails from reaching your inbox in the first place. This is done using spam filters.
Spam filters receive your emails first and scan through them to check for any suspicious or malicious content. They check details like the recipient’s email address, subject line, email content, language, and attachments. They will also cross-check against known spammers. Emails that are deemed as spam or include malicious content will be blocked. Emails deemed as safe, will be allowed into your inbox.
Spam filters are great as a first line of defence in protecting from phishing attacks and can also save the recipients a lot of time by blocking unwanted spam emails. However, there will be some emails that do sneak through, especially as cyber criminals are always trying new ways to reach inboxes and trick users into performing tasks without thinking.
Level 2 – Detection
The second line of defence is the business employees themselves. As it is impossible to prevent 100% of phishing emails from reaching the inbox, employees should receive some comprehensive training on email phishing including how to spot a phishing email, the potential dangers to businesses and steps to take if they suspect if they are the target of a phishing attack. Using phishing examples can be a good way of teaching employees how to spot a phishing email.
Again this is not fool proof, and employees are all human at the end of the day so mistakes can be made and not all phishing emails will be detected.
Level 3 – Protection
The third line of defence involves protecting your business from undetected phishing emails. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this. Installing anti-virus and anti-malware software can prevent malicious programs from being installed on devices, even if the user clicks a link or attachment. Make sure that all software, devices, and browsers are kept up to date with the latest security patches. Set up two-factor authentication where possible for logging in to certain websites, as an extra layer of security. This will prevent an attacker from gaining access using a stolen password only. Limit the number of employees who have access to certain areas and revoke access when no longer needed. Likewise remove accounts for employees who leave the business. This will minimise damage done if an attacker does get through.
Level 4 – Response
The fourth and final line of defence is to create a response plan in the event of a successful attack. Responding quicky to an attack can keep damage to a minimum. This is why there is a need to manage emails and security more than ever.
Proactiveness often brings great fruits especially when quickly spotting arising issues and increase in mail attacks. They can be quickly dealt with and reported back.