Protecting your business against malicious software and compromising data leaks has to be a top priority for all business owners in 2014. But you don’t need to spend a fortune to protect your business from email threats. Here are a few suggestions to help keep the cost down: ·
Join the cloud
Gone are the times when data needs to be stored on the premises. Physical hard drives cost money to run and maintain, and take up valuable office space. Sign up to a cloud based email service provider and keep all email archives remotely. Not only will this save you money, but you’ll still be able to access valuable information in the event of a system outage.
Choose the right email security system
Since Google announced the end of its email security software, Postini, back in 2012, businesses are having to find a suitable Postini replacement to meet their email security requirements. It’s intended replacement, Google Apps, lacks the functionality of Postini, so business owners are looking to dedicated email security services to provide their security needs.
- If you are a Gmail User you can use two Step Authentication
- Now Yahoo also integrated two step authentication to protect your account against spam.
Unified email management
Many businesses are looking to unified email management services such as Mimecast for a cheaper and easier way to manage their email systems. They provide greater security by screening your business’s emails before they reach you, and use extensive knowledge of malware trends to eliminate threats before they can do any harm to your computer systems. They will also provide an integrated, cloud-based archiving service, so all of your email management needs are catered for by one service, thereby cutting costs and increasing efficiency.
Encrypt sensitive information
Emails are essentially the postcards of internet communications: any hacker or phishing software can easily intercept and read any emails you send. It may appear complex, but data encryption is remarkably easy. Learning to encrypt emails containing sensitive information such as bank details will bolster your email security. What’s more, it’s free. The basics of encryption are simple: you generate a random encryption key, which scrambles the content of your email so it looks like gibberish to anyone spying on your communications. You then send that key to the intended recipient and they can use it to decipher the message. For more details on how to encrypt an email, take a look at lifehacker.com.
Educate your employees
Perhaps the best and cheapest way to improve your business’s email security is to educate your employees as to the risks of malicious emails. Some malicious emails make it through the outer layer of security because they don’t actually contain any harmful software, but only contain a link to the malicious content. Your employees need to recognise abnormal emails and avoid opening them. Prevention is the key. One educational visit from an email security professional could save you valuable time and prevent costly data leaks. Email security needn’t be expensive. Try to avoid outsourcing to multiple third-party services which may prove incompatible. Remember: cloud-based unified email management and a good amount of vigilance will keep your systems secure and your business profitable.
