5 Biggest Threats to Email Security for Small Businesses

When it comes to email security for a small business, it is absolutely imperative to know and understand the risks posed by the increasing number of bad actors trying to steal sensitive information or otherwise cause harm to your business and its clients.

Every small business owner is aware, of course, of the importance of email in their day-to-day operations – after all, it’s the main artery of a company’s communication! But with the convenience and efficiency of email comes a range of security challenges, from phishing attacks to malware infections, all of which can potentially put your business at risk. That goes double for small businesses, which are particularly vulnerable to email cyber threats due to limited resources and often less stringent security measures.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the five main types of email security threats that small businesses face, along with their potential impact and the steps you can take to protect your company’s digital communication.

5 Biggest Email Security Threats to Small Businesses

1. 1. Phishing Scams: Did you know that over 90% of all security breaches in small-to-midsize companies begin with phishing scams? It’s true. And even more mind-boggling, these breaches result in an average of $1.6 million in recovery costs!
      At its core, a phishing scam involves attackers posing as legitimate entities, such as banks or trusted sources, to lure recipients into clicking malicious links or downloading infected attachments. This can compromise sensitive information or install malware on your network. Insidiously, these email security threats often target specific employees by using psychologically manipulative tactics that can be particularly effective to an untrained eye.
      In a recent survey of cyber security professionals, over 75% of respondents named phishing scams as the “most dangerous” threat to small businesses.
   2. Unencrypted Email Transmission: Sending confidential information via email is, unfortunately, a fairly common practice in the business world. This, of course, poses significant email security issues, providing bad actors an ideal opportunity to intercept sensitive data and information.
   3. Malware Threats: Malware can take on many different forms of malicious software, all of which are designed to damage your computer or steal your data. Malware often enters unnoticed and wreaks havoc via emails by making an email appear legitimate by, for instance, attaching a malicious file that appears to be from a colleague or client.   
      Here’s a look at the five most common types of malware that can infiltrate your systems via email:  
      • Viruses: Well-known malware that can replicate and infect other files on your computer.
      • Ransomware: Malware that encrypts your files, demanding a ransom to restore access.
      • Spyware: Malware that covertly monitors your computer activity and steals sensitive information.
      • Trojans: Malware disguised as harmless software, causing harm once executed.
      • Adware: Malware that displays unwanted ads and pop-ups on your computer.
   4. Email Bombing: One under-the-radar email security threat is known as “email bombing.” Businesses such as customer service centers, e-commerce sites, financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and government agencies are particularly susceptible to this type of attack, in which a large number of emails flood an inbox, overwhelming the system and potentially causing it to crash. This not only affects productivity, but it can even damage your IT infrastructure in the process.
   5. Weak Passwords It seems so rudimentary, but a weak email password can compromise even the strongest network. Employees who use simple passwords, reuse passwords across accounts (including personal accounts), or fail to update their passwords regularly pose a significant risk to the organization they’re employed by.

The Best Secure Email Solutions for Small Business

In discussing the individual threats, many different secure email solutions for small business are available. For instance, establishing a clear protocol for what should – and what SHOULD NOT – be sent via email, and insisting that sensitive info is shared through a secure file transfer service or a virtual private network (VPN) can prevent hackers from accessing unencrypted emails. Or, if you’re hoping to prevent email bombing, make sure your email server is configured to limit the number of emails received within a specific time, or implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance email password security.

That said, if you’re looking for an all-encompassing solution to prevent email security breaches, there are two main options:

1. Employee Training: Over 85% of all data breaches can be attributed to an employee mistake, often due to simple ignorance of the threat. As such, cyber security training – and ensuring that employees are attentive and retaining the information – is the first line of defense in bolstering email security for small businesses.
2. Cloud-Based Email Solutions: Small businesses can fundamentally improve email security by converting to a more efficient and effective cloud-based email solution that offer simplified admin responsibilities, secure remote access, essential automatic software updates, and make it easy to back up and restore data and information.

Consult the Experts at M&H Consulting

Save your business and employees time and money by contacting the experts at M&H Consulting. Our cloud email solutions are specifically designed to streamline your company’s operations and prevent disastrous email security breaches.

At M&H Consulting, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know in order to make informed decisions about your future email solutions, ensuring that you land on a cloud email solution that fits your small business like a glove!

Reach out to our team of experts to get a custom quote today! 

Categorised in: Smart Hands IT Support