Experts Share 7 Email Security Best Practices For Businesses

Leaders and IT managers at small to mid-sized companies already understand the basics of email security. In fact, more than half (56%) of them use email security software, according to GetApp's 2023 Data Security Survey.*

Email security best practices extend beyond using strong passwords and changing them every three months. Email security threats have evolved, and so must our approaches. Our survey* reveals IT professionals are most concerned about advanced email phishing attacks, AI-enhanced email attacks, advanced ransomware attacks, and business email compromise practices.

Using insights from Gartner [1], we share seven best practices for email security to curtail sophisticated email attacks. But before we dive in, it’s important to understand the types of email security so any emerging tech we mention ahead doesn’t seem impractical to you.

These email security types are a combination of software and best practices.

1. Spam filters: Spam filters, AKA anti-spam software screens incoming emails to block unsolicited, potentially harmful email messages. They use keyword filtering and sender verification to protect users' inboxes.

2. Antivirus protection: An antivirus scans emails for malware like viruses and Trojans, protecting the system from harmful software that could compromise data or functionality.

3. Anti-phishing techniques: These techniques identify and block deceptive phishing attack emails to steal sensitive information. They scrutinize email content for suspicious characteristics.

4. Encryption: Email encryption encodes messages to protect sensitive information, ensuring that only intended recipients can read the content, in transit or end-to-end.

5. Secure email gateways: Secure email gateways (SEGs) monitor emails entering and leaving an organization, scanning for malware, spam, and enforcing email traffic rules.

6. Data loss prevention (DLP): DLP tools prevent the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data via email, monitoring and protecting data in transit, use, and at rest.

7. Authentication protocols: Email security protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC verify sender authenticity, preventing email spoofing and ensuring message integrity.

8. Email archiving solutions: Secure email archiving stores important messages for retrieval, protecting against data loss and maintaining an audit trail for compliance.

9. User awareness and training: Educating users on safe email practices is crucial, including identifying phishing, handling suspicious emails, and following organizational email policies.

10. Multi-Factor authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra security layer by requiring multiple verification factors to access email accounts, significantly reducing unauthorized access risks.

Having understood the types of email security, let’s talk about essential email security tips.

Researchers at Gartner consider these email security best practices top-of-the-line for businesses of all sizes. [1] These unconventional methods are new and thriving, so they may seem intimidating to implement at first. However, when utilized, they can shield your small to midsize business from even the most advanced email cyber attacks.

1. Implement advanced email security with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)

As we stated in the beginning, per our survey*, 38% of IT professionals are concerned about AI-enhanced attacks, where cyberattackers use automation capabilities to penetrate businesses’ email server networks. A report also surfaced stating that over 80% of security leaders have received AI email attacks. [2]

It’s vital for SMBs to use AI for their defense. Employ email security solutions like secure email gateways, which leverage machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to protect against business email compromise (BEC). BEC is a sophisticated scam that targets businesses through email fraud.

Libraesva secure email gateway uses threat intelligence to quarantine potential spam emails automatically (Source)

These advanced systems use email threat intelligence to analyze conversation histories to detect unusual patterns, such as abrupt changes in language or tone, or anomalies like unexpected requests for sensitive information. Organizations of all sizes use them, primarily in their email communication channels.

The tech scans incoming and outgoing emails, identifying and mitigating potential threats like sophisticated phishing schemes or malware-infected email attachments. The rationale for using such tools is to preemptively catch phishing attempts, which might be overlooked by conventional methods like basic spam filters or simple rule-based systems. Without these, companies risk financial losses and data breaches.

2. Augment cloud-email security with third-party solutions

It's crucial to evaluate the built-in security features of your cloud communication platforms, such as spam filtering and basic malware detection, to enhance them with third-party solutions like advanced threat protection services and encryption tools.

Most cloud email providers offer basic security features, like spam filters and simple virus scanning, but these may not be enough for sophisticated cyberattacks, such as targeted spear-phishing or advanced persistent threats (APTs).

This best practice is adopted by organizations that rely on cloud-based email services. Implement it by initially assessing the native security features of your email platform and then integrating additional third-party security tools.

These tools provide an extra layer of security, including detailed threat analysis and multi-factor authentication, against advanced threats, such as zero-day exploits and complex malware attacks. Failing to augment these systems could leave organizations vulnerable to intricate phishing schemes and malware attacks.

3. Ensure multifaceted protection against credential theft

It's crucial to ensure that your email security solution offers multifaceted protection against credential theft. This means having a system in place that not only safeguards against traditional phishing attempts but also employs computer vision technology to scrutinize URLs.

Phishing and social engineering schemes are one of the top concerns of IT professionals per our data security survey.*

This advanced feature helps detect and neutralize threats posed by URLs impersonating common log-on pages, a common tactic in credential phishing scams.

Organizations implement this by choosing anti-spam software with SURLB/URIBL filtering, including analyzing email content for deceptive links. The goal is to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data by identifying and blocking attempts to steal login credentials.

Neglecting this aspect of email security could lead to significant data breaches and unauthorized access to critical systems.

4. Incorporate API-based ICES in email security evaluation

When evaluating your email security solutions, also include API-based Internal Communication and Email Security (ICES) solutions. These solutions stand out for their simplicity in evaluation and the additional visibility they provide into internal traffic and other communication channels. This enhanced oversight is crucial to reducing insider threat risk, which is pretty common among SMBs per our 2023 Insider Threats Survey.**

API-based ICES solutions create communication graphs and establish baselines of user activity. This approach helps detect suspicious behavior that might otherwise go unnoticed. These systems can effectively identify potential internal threats or compromised accounts by analyzing patterns and deviations in internal communications.

Organizations benefit from this by gaining a more comprehensive understanding of their internal communication security landscape. This, in turn, allows for quicker response and mitigation of threats from within the network. Neglecting to include such tools in your security arsenal could leave blind spots in detecting insider threats or subtle signs of compromise.

5. Prevent account takeover with multi-factor authentication

MFA adds an essential layer of security that requires users to provide two or more verification factors. It could be something the user knows (like a password), something the user has (like a mobile device for receiving a verification code), or biometric identification (like a fingerprint or facial recognition) before accessing their email accounts.

This multi-layered approach ensures that even if one authentication factor is breached, unauthorized access is still barred. Almost every business is required to use MFA for business applications according to GetApp’s 2022 Biometrics/Passwordless survey.***

Given the simplicity of implementing MFA and its effectiveness in enhancing security, it's a critical step that many organizations across various sectors are required to follow as a standard email security protocol by security regulators, auditors, and cyber security insurance providers.

6. Invest in user education and standard operating procedures

Employee education is crucial to prevent data breaches and financial fraud. This includes training on standard operating procedures, such as double-checking email origins.

It also involves verifying requests through secondary communication channels when handling financial and sensitive data transactions. Impersonation attacks, such as CEO fraud and payment diversion scams, often target these transactions.

An example of CEO-fraud impersonation attack by cyber criminals [3]

Enhance this training with context-aware banners (alerts within the email platform indicating suspicious emails) and in-line prompts (messages prompting users to re-evaluate emails with unusual requests), which serve as real-time reminders and educational tools.

An example of a context-aware banner indicating suspicious email [Screenshot taken by the author]

Use security awareness training software to conduct this type of training. These tools offer interactive modules and simulated phishing email exercises. This approach not only maintains your employees’ ability to recognize and respond to threats but also ingrains safe practices as a part of their routine email interactions.

7. Deploy advanced security technologies for new-gen email protection

You need to integrate a range of specialized email security technologies to create a strong email defense ecosystem. First, manage user-reported unwanted emails efficiently with an integrated managed security operations and response automation (SOAR) capability, which uses features like threat intelligence and automated response protocols. Integrate SOAR with your existing email systems and security tools for seamless threat management.

Next, incorporate email events, such as suspicious attachments and unusual sender behavior, into a broader extended detection and response (XDR) or security information and event management (SIEM) strategy. XDR provides comprehensive threat detection across networks, while SIEM/SOAR offers real-time analysis and automated response to security incidents. To incorporate them, align their functionalities with your current security infrastructure.

When selecting vendors for these tools, look for those offering comprehensive integration capabilities, strong customer support, a proven track record in threat detection, and continuous updates to their threat intelligence databases.

Implement domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance (DMARC) to combat exact domain spoofing attacks, where attackers mimic legitimate email domains. DMARC verifies the sender's authenticity and ensures email integrity.

Monitor DMARC rejects, which are emails that fail DMARC authentication, to identify potential spoofing attempts. Manage sender policy framework (SPF) records, which validate email sources, to enhance email authenticity.

Lastly, consider the solution's role in your data security governance framework, which outlines how data is managed and protected. Use data loss prevention (DLP) strategies to prevent unauthorized data transmission, email encryption to secure data, and stored data discovery tools to locate and manage stored sensitive data—like personal identification information and financial records—protecting them from unauthorized access or external leaks.

Understanding where your current security posture stands is a critical first step before you adopt these email security best practices. Often, business owners eager to enhance security rush into searching for software vendors. However, this enthusiasm can lead to over-investing or misdirected investments that don't align with your existing security needs. 

We suggest filling in your details below to download GetApp’s free security assessment template. Collaborate with your key stakeholders in security and operations to complete the template detailing your current security practices. Feel free to customize specific columns to suit your needs better.

This process will provide a comprehensive overview of your organization's security infrastructure, highlighting areas that require attention and helping you to integrate necessary security upgrades strategically.