Email security: The most important measures against phishing, malware and CEO fraud

Why is phishing so dangerous?Why e-mails are so popular:

• Senders can be falsified with little effort –
• Users are often “caught between a rock and a hard place” of time pressure and routine
• Technical hurdles (e.g. when installing software exploits) are lower in comparison

If you understand that emails are both indispensable and risky, you can work towards a suitable security concept..

The most common attack vectors via email

Cyber criminals use various tactics to deceive their victims and gain access to company networks. The most common email threats are:

1. phishing – deceptively genuine attempts at fraud

Phishing emails are one of the most common and successful methods of attack. Attackers pretend to be trustworthy senders – e.g. a bank, parcel service provider or even a superior in the company. The aim is to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive data (such as passwords or bank information) or to get them to open infected attachments or links.

Why is phishing so dangerous?

✔ Deceptively genuine: attackers forge logos, sender addresses and signatures professionally.
✔ No technical expertise required: victims are deceived by social manipulation.
✔ Direct access to company networks: Successful phishing enables access to confidential data and systems.

2. Malware – malicious software in the attachment

Many attacks are carried out via emails with infected attachments. These often contain Office documents, ZIP files or PDFs with embedded malicious code. If the attachment is opened, malware is executed on the computer – often unnoticed.

Consequences of malware infections via e-mail:

✔ Ransomware: Data is encrypted and can only be recovered for a ransom.
✔ Spyware: Attackers can read out sensitive information without the victim realising it.
✔ Botnet-Integration: Infected computers can become part of a criminal network.

3. Business email compromise (BEC) – fraud through CEO fraud

Attackers pretend to be managing directors or financial officers and ask employees to make urgent payments or transfer data. This method is particularly perfidious as it does not use malware, but works solely through deception.

Why does BEC work so well?

✔ Psychological pressure: Employees often act less critically under stress.
✔ No technical protection is effective: Since no malware is involved, classic antivirus programmes are powerless.
✔ Simple manipulation: Fraudsters analyse companies via social media and other sources and skilfully exploit this information.

Why spam and malware protection is essential for companies

Spam accounts for a significant proportion of all emails and is not only an annoying distraction, but also a security risk. Many spam emails contain fraudulent content or malware that spreads through unsafe attachments or links.

An effective email security system should:

✔ Reliably filter out spam emails: this not only reduces risks, but also saves time for employees.
✔ Block harmful attachments: Threatening files are removed before they can cause any damage.
✔ Check links in emails: Many attackers use legitimate services (e.g. Google Drive or OneDrive) to hide their malware. A good protection mechanism recognises such attempts at deception.

Why email encryption is essential

Emails are often sent unencrypted over the Internet, meaning that sensitive information can potentially be intercepted. Especially in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare, companies are obliged to ensure secure communication.

Why companies should encrypt their emails:

✔ Protection of sensitive data:
An encrypted e-mail can only be read by authorised recipients. This means that confidential content – such as customer data, financial information or confidential project plans – remains protected from prying eyes.

✔ Compliance with legal regulations:
Regulations such as the GDPR or ISO 27001 explicitly require that personal data or sensitive information is protected from access by third parties. If unencrypted messages are intercepted, there is a risk of high fines and reputational damage.

✔ Protection of trust:
If communication between business partners or with customers is consistently secure, this strengthens the reputation of and trust in your company. In addition, manipulation of the content during transmission is virtually impossible.

The most common methods for email encryption are:

• End-to-end encryption (PGP, S/MIME): The content can only be read by the sender and recipient. –
• TLS encryption: Ensures that emails are not sent over the Internet in plain text.

What is email continuity and why is it so important?

Email Continuity describes a fail-safe solution that enables companies to maintain their business email communication even if the primary mail server is unavailable. By automatically redirecting and temporarily storing incoming and outgoing messages, all relevant processes remain functional at all times. This means that emails can be reliably sent, received and stored even during a server failure. Without such a measure, communication gaps can occur in the worst-case scenario, which can lead to the loss of customer data, orders or business opportunities.

Why should every organisation have an email continuity solution?

✔ Business processes remain uninterrupted:
The highly available infrastructure ensures that all e-mail communication continues in real time. Internal departments such as sales, support or accounting are also always available and can process urgent requests immediately.

✔ Minimisation of lost sales:
Even short downtimes can cause considerable economic damage. With an email continuity solution, communication with customers, partners and suppliers is guaranteed at all times, which means that potential orders are not lost.

✔ Protection against data loss:
All messages sent and received during the outage are completely backed up and automatically synchronised once the main server is restored. This means that important information, correspondence and attachments are available at all times.

Without an email continuity solution, there are high risks: Delayed or undeliverable messages can lead to loss of sales, damage to image and data gaps – a scenario that can be easily avoided with a professional solution.

Email protection is a must for every company

Since most cyber attacks start with an email, comprehensive protection is essential. Companies should:

✅ Use a powerful spam and malware filter system to reliably block malicious emails.
✅ Regularly carry out security updates to close known vulnerabilities.
✅ Implement email encryption to protect sensitive data from unauthorised access.
✅ Use an email continuity solution to remain accessible even in the event of server failures.

With comprehensive protection, companies can minimise their risk and take their IT security strategy to a new level. ProSmartec is at your side as a competent partner to find and implement customised solutions for your company. Let us advise you on how you can optimise your e-mail security! 🚀