How Secure Is Email Communication? A Complete Guide
Did you know about 60 billion spam emails will be sent daily between 2019 to 2023? If you constantly get spam messages in your inbox, this statistic is probably not a surprise.
You likely use email every day, but is it a secure tool? Email communication can be secure if you use certain security methods.
Keep reading to learn more.
How Secure Is Email Communication?
Email operates through the Standard Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which doesn’t prioritize security. This protocol only supported unencrypted and unauthenticated messages.
Email security has improved since it was first created in the late 20th century but there is still a long way to go.
Why is email communication so weak? It comes down to unencrypted messages, scams, and malware attacks.
Unencrypted Messages
While an email is in transit, it can be altered and deleted by administrators, hackers, or scammers.
When messages travel across different networks, they aren’t secured unless you encrypt them. An encrypted message looks like nonsense to anyone but the recipient.
Email platforms don’t encrypt messages but you can do it yourself through a program like telios.io.
Scams
Data leaks and phishing scams have become increasingly common for email. Attackers will send falsified messages to your email in hopes of tricking you into revealing personal information.
Scammers can pretend to be someone you know and ask for any of the following:
- Usernames
- Passwords
- Financial information
- Sensitive data
These scams are possible because anyone can send messages to your email. It’s very hard to block malicious messages but you can be safe about what you open and what you throw away.
Malware Attacks
Malware is another type of malicious software that can hurt a network or device. The software will go through an email account to steal valuable personal or company data.
A lot of email platforms provide some form of security to detect malware but cybercrime continues to advance. Don’t click links that seem suspicious because they probably are malware in disguise.
Options for Email Security
To avoid phishing scams, malware, and more, you need to know the different options for email security.
The most common methods of security are firewalls and malware protection. However, you’ll need to go a step further if you want to emphasize email protection.
Consider these options:
- End-to-end encryption
- Two-factor authentication
- Client portals
Use these methods to support email communication for you and your employees if you run a business.
Improve Your Email Communication Now
Whether you own a business or want to protect your personal email, this is the guide to use.
For more information like this, check out the other posts on our blog.
Although email communication was not made with security in mind, it’s increased in safety as the years go by. Yet, hackers’ intellect also increases as time goes by.
To be on the safe side, it’s important to follow newer protocols for email security. Opt for end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and client portals to increase safety.
For more information like this, check out the other posts on our blog.
