Why Do I Need More Email Security?

By Rob Ashcraft, CISO at KeyStone Solutions

I have been part of several recent conversations with customers who were asking, “Why do I need more email security?” It is a fair question and I wanted to share a few thoughts around email security this month. First, a few facts to consider; Email is the primary form of communication in today’s digital world. Email is also a means of direct contact to your employees from external entities, many with nefarious intent. And email phishing is by far the most successful method for successful cyberattacks.

With these facts in mind, it stands to reason that threat actors are focusing their attention and efforts developing more ways to exploit email platforms and the basic security features common to these platforms. Microsoft 365 (M365) is the most widely used email platform for business use in the world, with Google Mail covering most others. Although M365 and Google Mail have made significant improvements to their overall cybersecurity, there are still gaps and vulnerabilities continually identified in the native defenses of these email platforms against advanced phishing, malware, and exploits.

Considering the immense amount and wide variety of email attacks, relying solely on the native security features leaves small businesses at risk. Effective defenses against email attacks require a layered approach of advanced technical solutions, strong cyber policies, and continual user training. There is no “silver bullet” out there that fixes everything. Just as threats and attack vectors continually evolve, so must the defenses of each small business. Sadly, those who choose not to invest into additional defenses end up experiencing losses from email attacks. KeyStone Solutions Cyber Team allocates time and effort to the continual research of effective (and affordable) advanced email security solutions and other defensive methods to address the ever-increasing threat landscape of email attacks. Talk to your Account Manager to understand how these attacks may impact your organization and how your cyber risk can be reduced.