Email Security

Welcome to the digital era – life is better, colorful, fast, and accessible. The biggest loser here is privacy. The desire for a better-connected world threw privacy out the window. Why? The answer is simple. Better connectivity means a better way to access resources worldwide, a better way to do business that is not restricted by distances and time zones, a better way to manage financial flows from the comfort of your home or current location on the globe, a better way to learn new things and control remotely gadgets that are responsible for the new meanings of comfort and well-being at home, a better way to access own private data around the world without the hassle of carrying notebooks, hardcover organizers or other written media that holds important sensitive information that you need from time to time. Well, guess what – it is a two-way street that invites countless crooks to invade your private space, and what will happen next depends on their creativity and vivid imagination. It is rare, like finding a Koh-I-Nor diamond on a crowded street, to see a person lacking personal email or similar digital communication. Some people have fallen victim to different email breaches or email tricks that cause damage in one way or another; as a result, they have learned to be cautious. Others also became victims but still neglected to deploy security measures and exercise awareness related to suspicious links or web resources, jeopardizing their privacy for those about to see their private or professional communications violated the following discussion.

The risks and potential consequences associated with an email security breach.

Emails are a form of communication over the Internet that the majority of humanity considers sacred, and they interact with such applications daily, even more often than that. There is no difference if it is related to private or professional email; both are precious sources of lucrative information that lesser hackers will be able to resist using. It is tempting and, most of the time – easy to obtain. Because the emails for the majority of users are collections of private and confidential information that is subject to exploitation and abuse by hackers. Let’s start with something fundamental that users failed to secure:

Password strength: Many users just refuse to comprehend that they are the weakest link in cybersecurity defense. They insist on short, easy-to-remember passwords that are breached immediately once they appear in the hacker’s scope. It could be a Brute Force attack, Rainbow tables, or a simple password generator written by someone who still needs parental guardian controls enabled on their device.

Phishing attacks – everyone got weird messages that usually are filtered by default into the Spam/Junk folder on the email client used. This method relies on the user’s assumption that most emails are safe and usually scanned for malicious software by the email service provider. People fail to pay close attention to many messages in their inboxes daily, especially if some messages appear as legitimate communication from the bank or other institutional organizations that require user credentials to log in. Opening such messages may have different consequences, starting with downloading some malicious script into the victim's computer or impersonating a bank or other official institution web portal that asks the user to enter valid credentials to read an important communication that pretends to be confidential. The goal here is to trick the victim into providing voluntary access to its private data. Types of phishing attacks are many: spear phishing (inducing a false sense of security into victims to convince them to share their data), clone phishing ( a hijacked email that used to be legitimate but then altered with malicious links that trick the user into clicking them), pharming ( redirecting the victim to unsafe web pages that looks similar to some trusted web resource), HTTPS phishing (similar to pharming, convince the user that the web site is legitimate and secure -it shows HTTPS designation and the padlock, which renders useless the purpose of the existing secure certificates used today), evil twin phishing or “Starbucks scam” (it happens often in public spaces where the hacker setups a fake Wi-Fi network that is similar to existing one like these in coffee shops. Once the user gets on that network, the hacker gains access to login credentials and corporate data accessed by the victim), watering hole phishing (simply the hacker infects websites with malware that is used often by employees of a particular company, and then gains access to that corporate network and other sensitive information), and so on. [HELIXSTORM (n.d.). 12 TYPES OF PHISHING ATTACKS TO WATCH OUT FOR. Helixstorm.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://www.helixstorm.com/blog/x-types-of-phishing-attacks-to-watch-out-for/]

Spoofing - it is very similar to phishing. In spoofing, the crook attempts to impersonate a legitimate user to gain access to a system. It is considered a form of scam and often is a part of the ongoing phishing attack. [Testbook Edu Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (2023, July 31). Difference Between Spoofing and Phishing - Explained | Testbook.Com. Testbook.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024, from https://testbook.com/key-differences/difference-between-spoofing-and-phishing]??

Malware infestation – specifically designed code intended to damage the target, gain unauthorized access to a network, or monitor user activities to collect credentials, passwords, PINs, etc. [CyberArk Software Ltd. (n.d.). Malware Attacks. Cyberark.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024, from https://www.cyberark.com/what-is/malware/] Sometimes, the malware carries another hidden payload such as a virus, trojan horse, worm, backdoor, etc. Many ransomware attacks begin as illicit links embedded into a message that aims to trick the user. If successful, this technique could turn businesses, local governments, and even citizens who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time into a complicated hosting situation. It encrypts networks and databases, which are critical for an organization to function and conduct business and services. In this type of attack, hackers rely on information revealing network vulnerabilities subject to the attack. As a result, that network is punished by the encryption of its data and is asked for a ransom in exchange for decryption.

Man-in-the-middle attacks are another form of eavesdropping by unauthorized individuals on confidential data flow between email users. This intrusion begins with some type of credentials privilege elevation, then remote code execution or the initiation of a data leak and data tampering. It is a very successful strategy if the conversation is not encrypted and security is neglected.

Social engineering is a form of manipulation that doesn’t require specific technical skills but relies on an excellent understanding of human behavior and methods for its manipulation. This is probably the oldest form of gaining someone’s trust and pushing that person to share specific details intended to stay secret with someone not authorized to obtain them. Emails and social networks are just the perfect environment to trick users and put them into confession mode.

Legal or ethical risks for network administrators when attempting to secure email communications.

Business organizations must implement the latest security requirements to safeguard confidentiality and avoid security risks. The information assurance program is intended to fulfill such requirements and raise the barrier in front of intruders and other cybersecurity threats. The organization’s information security policies must be defined clearly and strictly applied to achieve compliance with the latest security regulations and practices. Business emails and other forms of digital messaging should be strictly monitored and inspected for illicit code and links, and their source should be investigated. The IT security teams should implement security requirements on how the company’s employees use messaging services, what type of information is safe to disclose, and what other types must remain confidential. All employees must agree to specific rules and regulations that apply to rules of the use of business emails and undergo particular security awareness training. There must be legal and ethical rules regarding confidentiality and privacy so that IT administrators respect and approach each case professionally. All email incidents should be reported accurately to the organization's security team in due time, and then appropriate security measures should be taken to remedy the situation. Each security situation must be evaluated to reveal the possible damage to the organization’s digital assets and sensitive information.

What policies and procedures could be implemented to address these concerns?

The employees must be aware of the existence of specific rules and procedures that govern the usage of the company’s digital communications. Specifically designed training should keep all staff updated regarding their privacy rights and what they disclose in business communications. The scope of the security measures should include rules regarding backup, deletion, and data retention. In addition, specific regulations related to employee behavior, such as only the organization’s employees can use this service, not their family members or relatives. The use of professional email for personal use must be prohibited. Also, forwarding third parties’ emails to other business emails is forbidden. Disallow personal email services on the organization’s network and devices.? All employees must go under security briefings regarding email-related risks, including phishing links, suspicious messages asking for private information, unexpected attachments, and other security risks. The organization must implement the latest security innovations related to user authentication and strict requirements for password complexity, lengths, and expiration intervals. Implement regular testing of the employees' awareness by sending fake phishing messages and measuring the percentage of those that flagged this message to the security team as a potential phishing threat.

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Last but not least, sophisticated methods for encryption of all sensitive communications must be deployed as an additional security layer in case of security breaches or accidental data exposure.