E-mail security tactics to failsafe your small business

There has never been a greater emphasis on e-mail security than in 2020. It highlighted the importance of cyber security as hackers used the global pandemic to target the remote workforce.

Johannesburg, 03 Feb 2021

The risks and consequences of a cyber attack are even greater for small to medium-sized enterprises that have had to move their operations out of a controlled office environment during the global pandemic. Almost a third of cyber attacks have involved small businesses in 2020.

According to the Verizon Business 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, 28% of data breaches were directed at small businesses, as more of them moved their operations to the cloud during the pandemic.

The weakest link

E-mail is one of the main methods in which employees interact with the Internet and the most targeted gateway for hackers to access business-critical data. Malicious e-mail links have the potential to wreak unimaginable havoc on a small business. Hackers who gain access to network credentials or an employee’s log-in details can steal confidential client data and other business-critical information.

Smaller businesses are more at risk of a catastrophic phishing attack as they often don’t have the same security measures in place as large enterprises to fend off and recover from a data breach. They are also more prone to human error that results in data loss or creates an inadvertent entry point for external threats.

Secure your e-mail

Small businesses must adopt a stance of cyber security awareness and readiness to ensure continuity and to support future growth strategies. This means employing the proper measures and technologies that help them to fend off attacks and any malicious activity from within and outside their borders.

Resource or budgetary constraints often result in growing organisations focusing their cyber security measures on access points they deem most vulnerable instead of a multi-pronged approach, which is necessary for small business continuity.

Multi-layered approach

Robust security requires a multi-pronged approach that incorporates protocols and security applications at every level to ensure there are no gaps for cyber criminals to gain access to your data. It should cover a wide variety of potential threat vectors to create an external layer of network security, incorporating anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-phishing and content control technologies.

Adequate and regular staff training is a crucial part of your internal security layer to minimise human error effectively. Everyone in the business needs to be conscious of cyber security and know the latest e-mail phishing tactics. Educate staff on how to look out for malicious e-mails, to avoid opening suspicious attachments and links and to use strong passwords.

The ultimate failsafe

SMEs need to employ comprehensive e-mail protection so they can focus on managing their core competencies knowing that their data is secure. At SYNAQ, we understand the cyber security risks facing growing businesses – this is why we take a proactive approach to e-mail security.

Our Securemail offering is the ultimate line of defence against e-mail targeted threats. It offers a 99.5% spam protection, 100% virus protection and three layers of phishing protection. Our intelligent e-mail security services provide an insight-led view of your e-mail usage, top threats and advanced integrated reporting.

Discover the complete range of benefits SYNAQ Securemail will offer your business .

Download the Securemail brochure

Increase employee and infrastructure productivity by keeping spam, viruses and phishing attempts away from your e-mail. https://www.synaq.com/resources/articles/synaq-securemail/

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