Email security is the process of preventing harmful and devastating access, data loss, or compromise to email accounts and messages. Loss of email security can result with data breach and this can cause prestige and money to businesses. According to IBM, the global average total cost of a data breach has reached $4.35M.
According to CISCO’s 2021 Cybersecurity Threat Trends report, about 90% of data breaches occur due to malicious emails. These malicious emails have a lifecycle. Phases of email-based-attack lifecycle
1. Planning
Before launching a cyber assault, cybercriminals hunt for weaknesses and the best way to exploit them. Cybercriminals explore the deep and dark web for any leaks linked to the target organization during the planning phase. For instance, the leak may be an employee's social media account or a compromise of a personal or business email password.
Check out PennAware’s Threat Intelligence module in order to search for data breaches in your organization.
2. Attack
This phase entails carrying out the prepared attack strategy. During this step, the criminal intends to circumvent all security measures and compromise the host system in order to install malware, download further malware from the Internet, allowing criminal command execution. Furthermore, attackers can redirect targets to a fake website in order to steal their passwords or sensitive information.
Check out PennAware’s Email Threat Simulator module for testing your email security against real attack vectors.
3. Compromise
During this phase, cybercriminals gain access to the system; phishing or other email attack vectors that have gotten past all security mechanisms and into the target's mailbox. During this phase, the target users initiate the breach by clicking on the deceptive link or attachment that they believe is real. Because this is the access point inside the organization, the criminals will use it to do what they intended in the first place.
Check out PennAware’s Phishing Simulator and Awareness Educator modules to enhance cybersecurity awareness in your organization.
4. Data Loss
This is the final stage of an email-based attack's life cycle. The assault was successful during this phase, and data loss or theft began. Target's data is copied, transmitted, or obtained without authorization from a computer or server. Identifying data exfiltration attempts is difficult since data constantly travels in and out of networked companies during this period, and the process closely resembles ordinary internet traffic.
Check out PennAware’s Incident Responder module to search, analyze, and remove malicious emails from all employees’ inboxes.
Thank you for your time, be cybersecure.
