Protecting Your Business from Cyber Crime: A Guide to Email Security

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the business landscape, with remote work and increased online interactions becoming the new norm. However, this shift has also heightened the risk of cybercrime, particularly through email-based attacks. In this blog post, we will explore the different types of email threats businesses face and how Arc Systems can help protect your organisation from these risks.

Understanding Different Types of Email Threats

1. Phishing attacks: Cybercriminals use phishing emails to deceive recipients into divulging sensitive information like passwords or credit card details. These fraudulent emails often masquerade as legitimate sources such as banks or credit card companies.
2. Spam: Unsolicited email, commonly known as spam, is not only used for promotional purposes but can also serve as a vehicle for distributing malware or initiating phishing attacks.
3. Viruses: Viruses are malicious software that can spread through email attachments. Once installed, they can compromise files, steal data, or even take control of a computer system.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Cyber Crime

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented cybercriminals with new opportunities to exploit email recipients. For instance, scammers have been impersonating reputable organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) or government agencies, sending emails containing links to malicious websites or virus-laden attachments.

Moreover, the increased reliance on online channels by businesses and customers has made it easier for cybercriminals to target their victims. Emails appearing to offer COVID-19-related products or services have been used as a disguise to trick recipients into interacting with harmful content.

How Arc Systems Can Enhance Email Security

Arc Systems offers a range of services aimed at bolstering your organisation’s email security:

1. Email filtering: By leveraging Arc Systems’ email filtering service, businesses can effectively block phishing attacks, spam, and viruses, ensuring that only legitimate and safe emails reach recipients’ inboxes.
2. Email encryption: With Arc Systems’ email encryption service, sensitive information transmitted via email receives an additional layer of protection. This encryption safeguards the confidentiality and integrity of your data.
3. Email training: Arc Systems provides comprehensive email training programs to empower your employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to identify and avoid email threats. This proactive approach helps create a security-aware workforce, reducing the risk of successful attacks.

Questions you may be asking

What are the most common cyber threats to businesses?

The most common cyber threats to businesses include:

• Phishing attacks: Phishing attacks are emails that are designed to trick the recipient into providing personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.
• Spam: Spam is unsolicited email that is often used to promote products or services. Spam can also be used to distribute malware or phishing attacks.
• Viruses: Viruses are malicious software that can be spread through email attachments. Once a virus is installed on a computer, it can damage files, steal data, or even take control of the computer.
• Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s files and demands a ransom payment in order to decrypt them.
• Data breaches: Data breaches are incidents in which sensitive data, such as customer information or employee data, is stolen from a business.

What can businesses do to protect themselves from cyber threats?

There are a number of things that businesses can do to protect themselves from cyber threats, including:

• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication: Strong passwords and two-factor authentication can make it more difficult for cyber criminals to gain access to your systems.
• Keep your software up to date: Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your systems from known vulnerabilities.
• Educate your employees: Employees should be trained on how to identify and avoid cyber threats.
• Use a security solution: A security solution can help to protect your systems from a variety of cyber threats.

What are the costs of cyber crime?

The cost of cyber crime in the UK is estimated to be £27 billion per year. This includes the cost of damage to businesses, individuals, and the public sector, as well as the cost of law enforcement and remediation. The number of cyber attacks in the UK is increasing at an alarming rate. In 2020, there were an estimated 1.9 million cyber attacks in the UK, up from 1.6 million in 2019. The UK government is taking steps to address the growing threat of cyber crime.

What are the steps to recover from a cyber attack?

If your business is the victim of a cyber attack, there are a number of steps you can take to recover, including:

• Identify the attack: The first step is to identify the type of attack that was used. This will help you to determine the best course of action for recovery.
• Contain the attack: Once you have identified the attack, you need to take steps to contain it. This may involve isolating the affected systems or taking other measures to prevent the attack from spreading.
• Investigate the attack: Once the attack has been contained, you need to investigate it to determine how it happened and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.
• Recover from the attack: Once you have investigated the attack, you can begin to recover from it. This may involve restoring data from backups or taking other steps to get your business back up and running.

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented challenges for businesses, including an increased vulnerability to cybercrime. However, by implementing robust email security measures offered by Arc Systems, organisations can safeguard themselves against these threats.

How Arc Systems can help with cyber crime and your Online Email Security

At Arc Systems, we proudly work alongside Mimecast who specialise in cloud-based email management for Microsoft Office 365. In addition to specialising in anti-spam and anti-virus protection, they also provide various other services to keep your emails safe from cyber crime.

Below are some of the services that Mimecast provide for Arc System customers:

1. DNS Authentication services to address sender ‘spoofing’.

2. Protection against impersonation attacks from senders.

3. Protection against malicious URLs. These could either be phishing or malware drop sites.

4. Prevention against the delivery of malicious attachments.

By Arc Systems partnering with Mimecast, it gives users the opportunity to stay safe and secure online with their emails. Our range of experienced consultants can discuss your requirements and the correct options you need to keep your data safe. But always remember, to think before you click and connect safely.