3 Ways to Keep Your Team Safe While Using Email

With the increase in the number of remote workers and heightened internet activity, there are those who are intent on causing harm.

Malware infections, URL spoofing, Phishing and social engineering. You name it. Cyber threats are at an all-time high.

Even here at Info Exchange, we were recently targeted with URL spoofing – where persons received an email from a fictitious ‘infoexchange’ email account.  Fortunately, our MailEssentials service engaged its URL Re-write tool (a handy tool to have), to quickly identify and disarm the threat before any damage was done. 

We’re sharing this information with you to emphasize the harsh reality that no one is immune from these attacks. Emails are well known as a vector for the delivery of malware, and our SaaS solutions provide multilayer support and will help mitigate against most of today’s modern attacks.  But even with top tier protection in place, one can never be too careful.

Below are 3 email security tips that we encourage you to use and share with your teams.

Carefully Examine All Emails that You Receive

Just because an email looks like it’s coming from a trusted source doesn’t mean that it’s clean.

If you see a suspicious email in your inbox, whether it’s unexpected or making a strange request, you should confirm with the “sender” that they are in fact getting in touch with you or requesting something from you.

In addition to checking that the emails you receive are legitimate, be sure not to send sensitive information like login passwords and credit card details via email.

Always Double Check the URL in the Email Address to Ensure its Validity

Too often people get caught with cyber-attacks via email because they just look at the name associated with the email address and not at the actual email address itself. Start making it a habit to check the actual email address of the sender whenever you get an email.

There are some emails that are dead giveaways that this may be a phishing scam or some other type of attack. But be sure to pay close attention to the nuances of the email.

If you know that your company, or the company of the person you’re communicating with, maintains a particular naming convention for their emails (for example, “johndoe@companyname.com”), be sure to keep an eye out for any differences in the addresses of the emails that reach your inbox (for example, “john.doe@companyname.com” or “john_doe@companyname.com”). Also, pay attention to the URL that the email is coming from, and be sure that it matches the one you’re expecting from your sender.

Never Just Click on a Link that’s Sent to You

Even if it is coming from someone you know. Instead, check with the sender to ensure that the email address has not been spoofed. It would also be in your best interest to have a suite of tools that scans your email for potential threats and provides you with regular alerts and updates on what’s going on with your inbox.

It’s always better to be safe by being direct and simply asking about the contents of an email, than to be the source of the digital infection that your company will have to fight to get rid of.

We know that you’re busy, and we understand that this might be a lot to keep in mind for every email that gets to your inbox. But we all need to stay vigilant with this increase in cybercriminal activity.

Anyone can be a target, and anyone can get hit. But if you do your part in keeping a watchful eye out for threats, and reporting suspicious activity when you see it, you and your company will be safer in the long run.

Be sure to share these tips with your team so you and your organization can stay vigilant and less susceptible to these kinds of cyber attacks.

Share this post:

Smart Technology, Better Business

Partners in your
digital E-volution