Spam emails – what you should do
Spam emails are easier to gain access to systems than other entry points because attackers rely on the human weakness. Employee negligence is much easier to exploit than finding a security hole in the system. This simplicity makes emails the most common entry point for cyberattacks. Every day, unsolicited spam emails land in our inboxes. In the best case, they only contain unwanted advertising or offers, but in the worst case, they contain fraudulent content.
But what is the best way to deal with these annoying emails? In this blog post, you will learn what a spam email is, how to identify it and what effective strategies there are to protect yourself from spam. Put an end to unwanted messages and protect your IT!
What is spam email anyway?
Spam emails are unwanted messages sent in large quantities and with commercial or fraudulent goals. Spam emails do not always have to be malicious; they can include normal advertising from companies, such as their newsletters, which are considered unwanted by users. Fraudulent spam emails, however, aim to deceive, harass and take advantage of the recipient's carelessness. In the following blog post, we will take a closer look at this type of spam email.
The senders of these spam emails have different intentions, but generally they aim to generate financial gain. Success depends heavily on the volume of messages sent, which is why attackers strive to process as large an address list as possible.
Intentions of malicious spam emails:
7 characteristics that can help you identify malicious spam emails
A trained eye can recognize a dubious email upon closer inspection.
If you notice the following abnormalities, you should be careful and contact your IT department or your IT service provider directly:
- Fake name (misspelled or unknown email address)
- Sender domain is incorrect
- No personal greeting
- Urgent need for action/threats are specified
- Grammar or spelling errors
- Contain links & forms that lead to other websites
- Sensitive data is requested
You can't imagine what that means? Here is a classic example of a phishing email:
You receive an email with an urgent recommendation to change your password. The sender uses the Microsoft logo and therefore appears trustworthy. You click on the button to reactivate the password.
The Microsoft login screen appears. You log in with your Microsoft login. But the login screen is fake and intercepts the information you enter. The attackers now have your login data and you have become the victim of a phishing attack.
Get an overview
How well are you prepared for cyberattacks?
The importance of IT security
According to a study by Cisco, only two percent of all Swiss companies are optimally prepared for a potential cyber attack. Do you still believe that your security measures are sufficient? Many companies recognize that their preparation for cyber attacks is inadequate. However, they often lack the necessary resources. Others believe: "That doesn't affect me anyway!" Many SMEs underestimate the importance of IT security. But that is a mistake. In our blog post, you will learn why IT security is also of great importance for SMEs and how a competent IT partner can effectively support you with limited resources.
Source study: Swiss IT Magazine
Protect yourself from spam!
Now the question arises: How can you effectively protect yourself from spam emails? The responsibility here lies with each individual employee. Only through everyone's mindfulness can your company effectively protect itself from cyber attacks through spam emails. We have put together some helpful tips on how you can protect yourself from spam emails.
Report the spam mail in your email client
To effectively minimize spam, you need to report spam emails you receive. This way, your email client can learn and better filter out spam in the future.
Block spam email addresses
Senders keep trying their luck. If you can clearly identify an address as spam, it is best to block it immediately. This will prevent the same senders from bothering you again.
Report emails suspected of phishing to your IT manager or IT partner
If you clearly identify an email as a phishing email, it is advisable to report it to your IT manager or IT partner. Even if you have correctly identified the email, someone else in your company may not be as careful. The IT manager can assess the situation and inform the IT partner. The partner can then carry out a security check and remove any malware if necessary. If you do not suspect phishing, you can report it in your email client as described above. In these cases, you do not need to inform anyone.
If you are unsure whether it is spam or a phishing email, contact your IT manager to be on the safe side.
Delete spam emails
If you do not suspect phishing activity, it is not necessary to report every spam email. Delete these emails immediately. Do not reply to suspicious messages or click on links, as this may increase the risk of receiving more spam or, in the worst case, becoming a victim of fraud or malware.
If you are unsure whether it is spam or a phishing email, contact your IT manager to be on the safe side.
Using a private email address
Use for personal purchases, event registrations, competitions or downloads not Your company email address, as this often results in email addresses ending up on spam lists. It may be a good idea to create a separate private email address for such purposes and use this as a spam address. This way you protect both your business and private email address from spam.
Use Exchange Online Protection to protect yourself from spam
To protect against spam, we rely on Microsoft Exchange Online Protection, which is Microsoft Exchange Online Exchange Online Protection offers comprehensive protection by analyzing incoming mail through intelligent filters that continuously learn through machine learning and algorithms. Suspicious emails are quarantined, while known spam sources and malicious content are automatically blocked. Integration with Microsoft 365 makes it easy to manage and customize filter settings, while regular updates ensure that new spam techniques are quickly detected. This significantly reduces unwanted emails.
Would you like to increase your IT security and be protected from future cyber attacks? Our comprehensive IT Security Offer provides relief! Contact usso that we can implement a reliable and secure solution according to your needs and requirements. We look forward to hearing from you.
Another quick fun fact: Do you know where spam got its name from?
SPAM was originally a brand name for canned meat. As a term for unnecessary, frequent use and repetition and therefore also for the spam we know today, this sketch by Monty Python was responsible:
