No matter how much you try to pretend that it won’t happen to you, data breaches are a common occurrence, and the problem is only getting worse as hackers and their software continue to get better at breaking and entering.
These cyber criminals are unconcerned with any possible consequence of their attacks, only wanting to make money or prove a point. One of the weakest links is your email. Without a business email hosting solution that provides top-notch anti-virus and malware detection, you are exposing your accounts to the possibility of being compromised. You may be wondering, “Why would a hacker be interested in my email account?”
Email can be compromised by a phishing attack through a legitimate-looking spam message, a malware script added to an otherwise innocuous document by an already infected machine, and social engineering, to name a few. Here are just a few items that hackers can mine from your email account and turn into a profit.
Account Information
Once the email account information is stolen, hackers then go to sites that have sent you email and say “Forgot Password” and change the password to the accounts. Any account that uses that email has now been hijacked including:
- Banking accounts
- Social media profiles
- Online retailer accounts
- Online content provider accounts like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
- Work related accounts like FedEx, etc.
Many of these accounts can be sold underground. For example, iTunes accounts go for about eight dollars per account. Groupon follows that at five dollars per account.
Confidential Information
It’s likely your email has both personal and professional confidential information within it including:
- Documents regarding confidential projects
- Work related file hosting account information and license keys
- Messages, calendars, photos, call records, location information
- Contact information and potential spam or malware victims
All of this information is a slippery slope. As hackers gain more of your information, they gain more power. Email accounts are a known vulnerability that cyber criminals often target. In order to protect yourself, your business, and your employees, a multi-layered approach should be enacted which can include next-generation antivirus and email continuity, archiving, and management.
Info Exchange is here to help by providing a safe business email hosting provider. Taking simple precautions can keep you and your business from becoming a victim. Contact Info Exchange today via our online contact form, email mybusiness@infoexchangeja.com, or call (876)931-9552 to learn more about how we can protect your email and your identity, as well as other services that we offer.
