Securing email within your business requires a two-pronged approach: system-level protections and user-level awareness. Both are critical to minimizing spam, phishing, and other email threats.
At the system level, implementing email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, combined with a strong spam filter, can greatly improve your email security.
SPF helps protect your domain from spoofing. You specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. When an incoming server receives a message, it compares the sender’s server to the SPF record. If it doesn’t match, the message can be marked as spam or rejected.
DKIM verifies that your organization owns the email domain. It attaches domain-specific encrypted keys to each outgoing email. This ensures that the email hasn’t been tampered with and confirms its authenticity to the recipient.
DMARC works alongside SPF and DKIM, instructing email receivers on what to do if authentication fails, such as reject the email or send it to the junk folder. DMARC also enables reporting back to your organization, letting you know which emails passed or failed authentication. This reduces user exposure to potentially fraudulent messages.
Most platforms, including Datotel’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange and Office 365, include built-in spam filters. Users can often add additional filters to block specific senders or keywords. These tools help reduce unwanted emails but work best in combination with authentication protocols.
Implementing these systems may require time and investment, but they significantly reduce risk and improve the reliability of your email communications.
Even the best systems are only as strong as the users who operate them. Employee education is a cornerstone of email security.
Ensure your team uses strong, unique passwords for their email accounts, different from other system or app logins. Teach them safe practices for storing and managing passwords.
Regular training and reminders are key. Employees should know to exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links in emails. While antivirus and malware scans help, they cannot catch every threat. Phishing attempts remain a major risk and rely on employee vigilance to be effective.
Periodic refreshers, real-world examples, and simulated phishing exercises can help reinforce good habits and keep employees alert to evolving threats.
Email security is not just about technology, it’s a combination of strong system protections and informed users. Together, they help protect your corporate communications from unauthorized access, fraud, and malware.
Want to learn more about securing your email environment? Contact Datotel today to see how we can help protect your business communications.