With the arrival of COVID-19, both our daily routines and the way we work have been turned upside down. All companies that have been forced to switch to remote work will have noticed a significant increase in the volume of digital communications. All communication is now online, and with it come all the risks that entail:
Did you know that the total volume of email threats with content related to COVID-19 now accounts for the highest number of cyberattacks based on a specific theme?
WHY HAS THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS TARGETING YOUR EMAIL INCREASED?
Due to the large number of people currently working from home, many cybercriminals have decided to take advantage of the situation of confusion and uncertainty. This is because a large number of people working remotely do so with far fewer security measures than they would have in their offices.
To help you stay safe, we want to inform you of the main risks of using email:
RISKS OF USING EMAIL
According to various studies, the number of emails containing malware has risen by up to 70%, while there has been a 30% increase in those aimed at stealing credentials. Most of these emails attempt to obtain the victim’s login credentials by using fake pages that mimic the appearance of Gmail or Office 365 to prompt people to enter their username and password. That is why, if a screen asking for a password opens after you click the email button, we do not recommend entering it.
Another very common situation during these months of remote work is sharing a file via email and saving it because you know you can retrieve the document at any time.
Email is not only used as a fast and economical means of communication, but a large number of companies also use it as a way to store their data. This means that valuable information assets remain on your email servers. It is a problem that protected confidential information is left stored in unencrypted inboxes, as this can pose significant risks in the event of certain attacks.
In these cases, it is important to remember that it is preferable to host these types of documents on a server or cloud storage provider if you need to share them, and to include passwords or access restrictions limited to company personnel or to the email address of the person with whom you wish to share them.
Added to these risks is the fact that email is the primary tool used by hackers and cybercriminals to distributer malware, including ransomware, in order to gain unauthorized access to an organization’s networks and information. A significant percentage of major data breaches have occurred as a result of phishing-based email attacks, and while email filtering is a useful tool, it cannot be relied upon solely to block all malicious emails.
Another risk of email communication arises from the company’s own internal communications . We often engage in informal communications with our colleagues via email, and this can become a source of vulnerability. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid this type of email communication or, if it is essential, to use tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the intranet to mitigate the risks of email attacks.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CAUTION ISN’T ENOUGH?
You’ve probably heard that the best way to protect yourself against a cyberattack targeting your email inbox is to “not fall for” the attacker’s tricks. And while that’s partly true, it’s often not enough.
Although the main way to avoid falling victim to a cyberattack targeting your email is to have sufficient knowledge and be very cautious, it’s often impossible to detect the fraudulent nature of the email or the sender you’re dealing with.
The risks multiply when we are not talking about individuals but rather when these attacks target a company with dozens of employees, who are susceptible to becoming weak entry points for cyberattacks.
That is when software comes to our aid and goes beyond what human capabilities can achieve.
Tranxfer is the world’s most secure tool for sending and receiving files. It is software specifically designed to help businesses protect themselves against potential cyberattacks by keeping your data secure at all times.
MOST COMMON CYBERATTACKS VIA EMAIL
Since email is the quintessential professional communication medium and is often used to communicate with untrusted external organizations, the potential for risk and vulnerability to attack increases.
Cyberattacks can exploit email to gain control of an organization, access confidential information, or disrupt IT tools’ access to resources.
Among the most common threats to email systems are the following:
- PHISHING
Email phishing is a cyberattack technique that aims to steal confidential business information.
Phishing emails often pretend to come from a known contact and masquerade as official company communications, typically targeting vulnerable accounts and lower-level employees.
In most cases, these malicious emails contain links to sites that distribute malware or request confidential information. The best protection against this type of attack is a monitoring network that oversees communication both inside and outside the company.
2. SPOOFING
Email spoofing is a strategy used in spam and phishing attacks. By falsifying an email header to make it appear as though it originated from within the company, attackers attempt to trick employees into providing sensitive information or, in some cases, performing banking-related tasks.
While vigilance is the best method for dealing with identity theft attacks, companies should also look for software that enhances email security.
3. MALWARE
Malware, or malicious software, is a virus that contains code designed to attack and damage data, technical equipment or entire systems. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, and other types of malware, technical equipment, or entire systems. Trojans, viruses, spyware, worms, adware, and botnets, among others, are types of malware.
In most cases, malware is sent via email during phishing and spam attacks. During an attack, multiple emails containing a virus are sent while impersonating a company. Once opened, the malware infects the system and causes damage.
Educating company employees is the first line of defense against malware. If someone receives an email from an unknown source with a large attachment, it is best to delete it immediately. Retarus will serve as a defense against these types of attacks.
4. RANSOMWARE
Ransomware is a specific type of malware that attacks the entire computer system and blocks user access until the financial demand (ransom) is paid to the attacker. Email security threats like this one often occur during other large-scale attacks that target multiple users within a company.
DO YOU KNOW TRANXFER?
The tool has been developed to the highest technological standards without compromising the simplicity of its interface. In terms of ease of use, Tranxfer allows you to work through simple steps such as:
– Selecting the file and recipients.
– Writing the subject line and message to be shared.
– Configuring the delivery settings (view-only, expiration date, event tracking, etc.)
If your business wants to implement an effective system to combat cyberattacks via email, we can help you solve your problems with Tranxfer.
You can contact us on this page with any questions you may have.
Now that you know the risks of email, we invite you to learn about how to combat Shadow IT.
