When was the last time you thought twice before clicking on an email link? If you’re like most of us, probably not recently enough. Despite being one of our most common daily activities, using email is also one of the top ways cybercriminals gain access to our private information and systems. In fact, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, a whopping 90% of cyber attacks begin with an email. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a clear warning. Let’s talk about why email can be risky and how you can tighten up your inbox to keep your business safe.

Phishing might sound like a leisurely activity, but when it comes to emails, it’s anything but. Phishing is when scammers send fake emails that look like they’re from a trusted source, but are actually designed to steal your personal information or infect your computer with malware. The Anti-Phishing Working Group reports that these scams are becoming increasingly clever and convincing, making it hard to tell them apart from the real thing.

The impact of clicking on a malicious email can be devastating. IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report shows that the aftermath often includes financial losses, damaged reputations, and operational disruptions. Imagine having to tell your customers their data has been compromised because of a mistaken click. It’s not just about money—trust is also at stake and as a small business ourselves, we know it’s hard won and hard earned.

The first line of defense is better email security. This means using tools like encryption, spam filters, and threat detection systems to keep dodgy emails out of your inbox. To take the guesswork out of selecting these tools, we have a shortlist of trusted vendors that we share with our clients, offering solutions that help you spot a risky email before it becomes a problem.

On top of that, it’s not enough to just have a password these days. You need a strong, unique password for each of your accounts, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible. The National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends this approach because it makes it much harder for hackers to gain unauthorised access and adds another crucial layer of defence that is in place 24/7.

Your employees can be your strongest asset or your biggest liability when it comes to cyber security – the thing that can make or break this is regular security training. Training everyone to recognise phishing attempts and understand safe email practices is crucial. It isn’t just the technophobes in the office, it’s everyone including you!

More and more, we access our emails on the go. This means our mobile devices are also at risk. Security measures like passcodes and biometric authentication (think fingerprint or face ID) are essential to keep your mobile access secure. It’s also worth considering your BYOD (or bring your own device) policy, if you have one.

Monitoring your email for suspicious activity is key. Tools like Microsoft 365 Suite help you keep tabs on your email traffic and spot anomalies before they turn into bigger problems. In our experience the risk of an insidious email making to your inbox is greatly reduced if the tools remove emails that you shouldn’t be receiving (for example, traffic from abroad if you are a local business that has no dealings with people operating outside of the UK).

One of the best ways to check how well your team can spot phishing is to test them with simulated phishing exercises. Our own phishing simulation tests have been designed to identify vulnerable areas with the goal of turning a practical test into action plans to greatly improve how your employees respond to real threats ‘in the wild’.

Email is a fantastic tool for commerce but it comes with its risks. By understanding these risks and taking proactive steps to mitigate them, you can better protect your business from the ground up. At Crosstek, we’re here to help you implement these strategies and keep your communications safe and sound.

If you’re ready to step up your cyber security game or just want some friendly advice, check out our Cyber Security Services or get in touch with us for a personal consultation. Let’s keep those cyber crooks out of your inbox and your business secure!

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