How To Spot And Prevent A Malicious Email

1 min read | Feb 16, 2017

Did you know that opening an email or downloading an attachment in a spammy message could infect your business with a virus? Today it’s easier than ever for cyber criminals to infiltrate small businesses via email, so before you open that next message in your inbox, read this.

Email Security By The Numbers

The recent numbers about email security breaches are startling:

Stat 1 – Phishing campaigns increased 55% in 2015

Stat 2 – 60% of companies have experienced a data breach in the last 2 years

Stat 3 – 429 million identities exposed in 2015

Stat 4 – Email malware creation has increased by 26% since 2015

An Email Could Be Malicious If…

So, how can you tell the difference between a valid and invalid email? Here are some red flags to watch for that indicate an email is not safe to open:

• There is a suspicious “From” or “Reply To” address
• There are suspicious link addresses
• It is riddled with spelling errors
• There is an alarming subject line (“Account has been suspended,” etc.)

What You Can Do

You’ve seen the data and you know what a malicious email looks like. Now, here’s how you can protect your business:

1. Reset email passwords regularly
2. Use an email filtering service
3. Train employees on email security
4. Ensure anti-virus softwares are up-to-date
5. Back-up your most valuable data routinely

Contact Benton Tech today!

Our email security experts are standing by to answer any questions you have regarding your business’ email protection. Chat with us today!