[2024 Tips] 6 Commom Email Security Threats and How to Protect

1. Malware

Malware is a broad category of hack email threats. Malware is the abbreviation of malicious software. Malware includes all the software designed to affect injuriously the system of the individual and the organization. Through malware, one gets access to the remote system. Malware corrupt and steal data from the devices of individual or organization.

Some dangerous malware types are ransomware and Trojans. Ransomware is the malware through which personal information was hacked by cybercriminals. The hackers demand ransom payment through the user or organization to erase and unmown the information. Trojans are a dangerous email threat that gives full password access to the hacker. It affects the technical assets.

How to Avoid Malware?

If email is hacked by Malware, then it is prevented by the following steps:

2. Spam and Phishing

Spam is one of the most common email threat faced by the user of email. These are irrelevant and unwanted messages sent to the users. These messages generally are must-see, newsworthy, thought-provoking products. This is not realistic but just spam.

Due to spam, our mailboxes floods with unwanted or junk mails. User finds it difficult to find the wanted mails in bunches of unwanted mails. So in this case it is wastage of time. Another risk of spam is to spread other email threats like Trojans, viruses, and malware.

Out of 100%, about 60% is the volume of spam in email threats. Phishing is the easiest threat in the world of email threats. Phishing email threats is the threat through which fraudsters obtain personal information like credit cards. The sensitive information was send to the cybercriminal by clicking or opening a link.

How to Avoid Spam and Phishing?

Phishing can be avoided by applying the following techniques:

3. Social engineering

Social engineering is a method or process that is the basis of email threats like malware, phishing, spam, and other scams of email. It is an art through which hackers manipulate innocent people. Hackers use social engineering tactics to influence the mind of the email user to give them the password. In this way, they give them access to the password easily. It deals with the broad range of malicious activities and social engineering attacks that happen in one or more steps.

Spoofing is the method to connect with other cybercrime like social engineering. In spoofing, false content, for example, passwords, data and information are created that appear to be legitimate.

How to Avoid Social Engineering Attacks?

The ways to prevent email through social engineering attacks are:

4. Misconfiguration

Misconfiguration is another email threat. It is important to discuss misconfiguration. Misconfiguration deals with the poorly configured configuration of an email. In this email threat, there is no authentication. Hackers can send email randomly to anybody by hacking the email account or hackers can hack the email account of the organization and they can send email to the employees. So it has no authentication.

There are no proper security controls. Sometimes these insecurity issues raises due to debugging enabled and default password or username. It is a misconception that small businesses cannot be affected by cybercrime attackers because they are too small to target. On the other hand, they are easy targets of cybercrime attackers.

How to Avoid Misconfiguration?

The important things for email protection to do are:

5. Malicious insiders

Malicious insiders are the complex and traditional email threat faced by the organization. It is the traditional type but it is not checked by cybercrime security. Here are some hidden enemies in the companies or organizations who have authorized access to the email account. So it sounds like that they have legitimate access.

A Malicious insider may be the college doing a job for the opponent or it may be a former employee of the company and has access to critical data or information. Malicious insiders may be due to improper checking. It may affect the base of the brand. Malicious insiders may be due to financial distress and revenge, fear of layoff and criminal influence. It is for our purpose to steal information and data of the organization.

How to Avoid Malicious Insiders?

The following points should be pondered in mind for email protection.

6. Poor encryption

Poor encryption is security threat for email users. Poor encryption is not safe for communication purposes with third party. It is the easiest way to hack the email. The third-party can easily get access to the important emails that are spying on you. Some information is confidential that gets steal due to poor encryption and causes a lot of destruction.

Due to poor encryption, most of the confidential gets leaked. Poor encryption has some positive aspects as well. We can imprison the criminals. They can be arrested by detecting or hacking their emails. It provides great help for police to solve the cases.

How to Avoid this Risk?

The following methods are used to encrypt the emails:

Security Protection

The two statistics of email threats are given below:

Therefore, it is imperative to find ways to improve the security of email.

1. Using ClevGuard to Protect your E-mail security

ClevGuard is a malicious software scanner which can find hidden spy apps and other third-party dangers existing in your device. One of the top features of it is checking for e-mail breach. You only need to enter your e-mail address. ClevGuard can easily check whether any accounts linked to it have been compromised.

In addition, when you are attacked by e-mail, you can see the website where it was attacked by hackers and the date of its attack. However, if your e-mail is safe, ClevGuard will continue to provide you 24/7 times secure. Now, enjoying its protection by click "Get it on Google Play Store" button to donwload and install ClevGuard.

2. Improve your endpoint and email security hygiene

There is an endpoint email security that is email security software. Endpoint email security software helps the user a lot to secure the email account. The endpoint software blocks spam, malware, poor encryption, Trojans and viruses. It cleans the infected files and defends the user against email threats.

If the user hasn’t updated the system then there are securities flaws. So update the system regularly. There should be two factors of authentication. Mail protection can be made by creating strong passwords, don’t write passwords on paper and don’t writs duplicate and old passwords.

3. Safeguard your email content with encryption

The email content should be end-to-encrypted that nobody can get access to your emails. The content and attachment both should be encrypted. But the email doesn’t have enough power to remove all the threats. Email doesn’t have a fully secured organization against all cybercrimes and email threats.

Third party can fulfill the security gaps. An Encryption tool is only effective if it is used regularly. Document security solutions help a lot to protect email.

4. Prevent data leakage and breaches

A major email threat is the leakage of data. Confidential data is leaked due to poor or weak encryption and other security threats that can be prevented. The leakage of data can be prevented by filtering and blocking.

There is software Data Loss Prevention (DLP) that is used to protect the mails. If it is not secured by the DLP tool, then the data may be hacked. It is the responsibility of the organization to provide confidence to the client to share the information.

Conclusion

Email is a widely used app to share content and other attachments. But it may be hacked by different means like malware, Trojans, spam, phishing, malicious encryption and poor encryption. These are email threats. These email threats also are avoided and can be fixed. There are some ways and software to protect the email.