Cloud-Based Email Security: How You Can Secure Your Mailbox

Email continues to be the most common form of communication across businesses, but how and where we use email has changed. Businesses are increasingly migrating to cloud email platforms for improved productivity, the ability to work from anywhere on any device, and continual access to the latest tools and features. But, despite all these benefits, there’s a catch — cloud-based email has left users and devices open to new threats and vulnerabilities. Let’s explore these risks — particularly in the context of Microsoft 365 — and what you can do to secure every mailbox across your organization.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF CLOUD-BASED EMAIL?

As the cornerstone of business communication, email remains the #1 vector for internet-based threats. Over 3.4 billion email scams or phishing emails are sent every day, and over 90% of breaches begin with email. And it’s no wonder — email is also the most lucrative way for cybercriminals to attack organizations. Business email compromise (BEC) in particular is one of the fastest-growing security threats; over the past several years, BEC attacks have doubled, and the amount stolen has tripled, with estimated losses between 2016 and 2020 totaling $26 billion.

And that’s just the beginning. Cloud email in particular has become a major target for attacks, with substantial gaps in security leaving users, devices, and data vulnerable to threats.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SECURE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S MAILBOXES?

While it’s true that every email provider offers some degree of protection, email isn’t as secure as you might think, and native security can’t be fully relied on to mitigate every threat. So, while Microsoft 365 provides a basic level of security, it’s often not enough — particularly when it comes to ransomware and phishing. To truly secure your organization’s mailboxes, you need additional layers of protection.

Offering comprehensive, cloud-delivered security for services like Microsoft 365, this supplemental security leverages diversified intelligence to protect against threats that come from both outside and inside your organization. In this way, you can have greater confidence that every email, everywhere, has the protection it needs.

WHAT SHOULD A SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY SOLUTION DELIVER?

Cloud email security supplements are defined by several key components, including:

• Multiple security services to assess each of an email’s potentially harmful vectors: attachments, links, and the message itself
• Continual analysis that scans every mail entering or leaving every mailbox, for proactive protection anywhere and everywhere — including threats from within the organization
• Automated detection and remediation tools to quickly mitigate the spread of email-borne threats

The increased use of cloud email platforms can make it challenging for organizations to effectively protect every mailbox. That’s where Cisco Cloud Mailbox Defense can help. Building upon leading Cisco Email Security technology, Cloud Mailbox Defense secures Microsoft 365 email with a unique combination of visibility, simplicity, integration, and intelligence — so your organization can feel confident that it’s fully protected.

PROTECT YOUR ORGANIZATION

With cybersecurity threats on the rise, it’s important to be aware of how you can protect your devices and stay cyber safe. To learn more about cyber safety, check out our Cyber Security Awareness Month blogs:

• Leaders Strategize for Cyber Security Month
• Keeping Your Phone Secure with MDM
• 3 Things You Can Do to Keep Your Computer Secure
• How to Keep Your Network Devices Secure
• Securing Your Smart Devices

For more tips and cybersecurity news, check out the AlphaKOR Academy blogs!