Emails are the go-to target for hackers to infiltrate, as accessing people’s inboxes is easy when so many individuals don’t know the security risks they have overlooked. Since email is one of the most effective forms of communication for both personal and business use, it is imperative that we protect this operating system.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals constantly find new ways to retrieve your personal information. To remain ahead of the curve, here are important tips you need to know to protect your email from cyber attacks.
Never Open Attachments and Links Sent by Suspicious Contacts
Sending sketchy links and attachments that lead to a fake website or fraudulent business is the main way cybercriminals hack into your account. Avoid opening attachments sent by contacts that seem suspicious. You can preview the contents of a link by hovering your mouse over the link. Moreover, another easy way to determine whether the email is sent by a crook is to look for spelling mistakes or unusual web addresses.
Use an Application to Send Encrypted Files
Being able to share files and links to recipients without worrying about your cyber safety is crucial for your business and personal life. That’s why the tech-savvy folks at CirrusInsight.com reveal it’s best to use an application to ensure emails are secure by using end-to-end encryption. These valuable apps are specifically designed to protect your business, and they incorporate features and implementations so that you can share and receive files, secure your emails, monitor security, and track all your activity to prevent the risk of cybersecurity threats.
Only Access Your Corporate Email Through Company Networks
With so many fraudulent practices going on in the digital realm, it’s important to protect your personal information and financial details. Personal and business emails need to be secured. Unknown networks can easily get a hold of your personal details which is why you should only access your corporate email through a network you trust.
Do Not Respond to Spam Emails
Spam and phishing emails are created by scammers to deceive you with malicious content. It’s vital that you install an antivirus to detect and analyze suspicious content and alert you of any fraudulence. Responding to spam can result in severe consequences as hackers will retain more insight into your personal information and could use this to scam you.
Use a Reputable Password Manager
A password manager and two-factor authentication systems are highly recommended for both personal and business emails. This changes all your passwords by requiring stronger, unique ones. This prevents your username and password from being identical to so many others out there. Hackers are known to type in previously stolen passwords into many online services, so the more unique your password is, the safer you will be.
Always Check for 2FA Support
When making a new email, you must ensure that the email provider you have chosen provides 2-factor authentication support. This 2FA security system offers an extra layer of security when signing into your account by sending a message to your mobile phone with a code, and will also notify you when someone is trying to log into your account.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi and Computers
This is a tricky one since so many of us leverage public Wi-Fi. However, by doing so you are putting your cybersecurity at risk. This is why you need to trust the servers that you are using and be cautious when using unknown networks. For instance, in hotels, scammers can easily install malware that can hack into your emails and gain access to your valuable information such as your online banking account details.
Keep Your Devices Updated
Since we access our email through a couple of devices like our laptops, smartphones, etc, it’s important that you keep all your software and devices updated. Outdated devices put your information at a bigger security risk. The whole purpose of updating software is to implement the new and improved security measures that secure your operating system, thus you protect your email by doing so.
Secure Your Personal Wi-Fi and Router
Business owners and homeowners need to have a safe network. This will prevent unauthorized access from hackers. All you need to do is make sure that you change your router’s admin password and set your Wi-Fi password to strong and rare.
It isn’t always easy to detect malicious content and phishing emails that you receive in your inbox, which is why implementing the aforementioned tips will drastically reduce the risk of cybersecurity threats. By learning more about how cybercriminals hack into your account, you will be better equipped to avoid ever having to go through such an ordeal.
