Imagine your finance team sends an invoice to a reputed client, which is intercepted by a cyber criminal. The details are altered, and the funds are redirected to an unknown account. Sounds like a nightmare? The consequences of unsecured email servers can be just as devastating! To your surprise, the average cost of a data breach against a company is over $4 million.
Businesses carry a major part of their communication via emails. It comprises everything from interacting with clients and vendors, sharing confidential documents, to exchanging employee details. So, if your email server security is compromised, it can make your entire business fall apart. Cybercriminals, as such, can steal funds, intrude transactions, and leak critical partner information, putting your business at risk.
That is why an email secure server has now become a necessity for businesses. It allows them to protect sensitive data, prevent financial losses, and maintain reputation and trust.
Let’s learn more about email secure servers and their importance for businesses.
What is an email secure server?
An email secure server protects your communication over email. By using security measures like authentication and encryption, it allows you to exchange sensitive email content with confidence. Secure email servers also filter spam and suspicious emails, preventing them from risking your organizational security.
So, what does an email secure server comprise? Several security measures are implemented that secure your email communication, including:
- Authentication
This security feature verifies the sender’s identity using protocols like SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI to ensure emails come from a trusted source. It offers enhanced protection using SMTP authentication that prevents unauthorized users from sending emails, and MTA-STS that encrypts and validates incoming mails. This makes it even more difficult for hackers to intercept or alter email content.
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA adds another protective layer to your email account. Instead of just implementing password protection, it requires users to verify their identity through a secondary factor. This could include a fingerprint scan, a text message code, or an authentication app. Without the secondary verification, attackers won’t be able to access your email account.
- Encryption
End-to-end encryption is the most important security feature of an email secure server. It works at the sender as well as the receiver end. Encryption is a technique that converts text into ciphertext, which can be decrypted only by the intended recipient. This prevents attackers from reading your confidential email messages.
- Access Controls
To ensure only authorized users or systems can access your email data, role-based access controls (RBAC) and permissions are necessary.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
DLP is a set of mechanisms that tracks outgoing emails to prevent the unauthorized sharing of sensitive data. If it senses that an email contains restricted content, it blocks or alerts users about it. This helps secure confidential data.
- Secure Configuration
It involves applying the right security settings to your email server, such as disabling unwanted services and installing security patches.
- Audit Logs
It involves monitoring and recording every activity on your email server, including who accessed what, when, changes performed, etc. These logs help detect unusual activities on your email server.
Difference Between Email Secure Servers & Standard Email Servers
| Features | Email Secure Server | Standard Email Server |
| Encryption | Uses end-to-end encryption via TLS and PGP protocols to secure email content | May use basic encryption, risking email content |
| Authentication | Implements multifactor authentication and advanced login security | Generally relies on username and password authentication, which are easy to breach. |
| Data Integrity | Uses digital signatures to ensure emails are not altered in transit | No built-in protection against email tampering |
| Access Control | Restricts access to authorized users with role-based permissions | Limited or no granular access controls |
| Spam & Phishing Protection | Advanced filters block phishing attempts, spam, and malware | Basic spam filters, ineffective against serious phishing attacks |
| Impact on Business Operations | Ensures uptime and prevents disruptions with redundancy measures | Higher risks of downtime and email service disruption |
The Importance Of Email Secure Servers for Businesses
Having an email secure server can promote growth for businesses in various ways, including:
1.Protecting Confidential Information
Businesses manage a great deal of sensitive information via emails, including financial reports, contracts, and customer details. If your email server isn’t secure enough, these communications can be easily intercepted by cybercriminals.
With secure email servers, businesses can ensure all email communication is encrypted, both at the sender’s and receiver’s end. This means that even if the information exchange is breached, the hackers won’t be able to read the information.
For example, companies in healthcare or finance industries rely on email secure server solutions to handle private data, protect it, and maintain compliance.
2.Email Aliases and Shared Aliases
An email alias is an additional address associated with your primary account and helps secure your communication. For instance, you might have an alias for customer support (such as [email protected]) and another for sales inquiries (like [email protected]).
This concept is further enhanced by shared aliases that allow multiple team members to access and respond from the same alias address. This helps streamline communication within different departments, control spam, and create temporary addresses for specific projects.
3.Boosting Customer Trust
Privacy is a major concern for customers today. Ensuring their personal and financial information is secure is important for them when interacting with a business. By securing your email servers, you commit to protecting their data, boosting customer loyalty, and trust.
A secure email service prevents phishing attacks that impersonate your business and target customers. But when your customers know their information is secure with you, they are more likely to trust you and build a long-term relationship with your organization. Not only this, but they can become your repeat customers and get you referrals. Ultimately, it will all lead to business growth.
4.Improving Compliance with Regulations
Every business, regardless of its industry, has to comply with certain regulations and standards to secure its digital communication. For example, HIPAA in the U.S. and GDPR in Europe impose stringent guidelines on how businesses manage and protect sensitive data. If businesses fail to comply with these regulations, it can result in severe penalties, fines and legal issues.
Email secure servers help businesses meet these regulatory needs by ensuring encrypted communication and protection from unauthorized access. Many email secure server providers also provide data retention policies and audit trails, ensuring businesses can prove compliance during legal inquiries or audits.
5.Enhanced Overall Security
Research reveals that over 37% of businesses are concerned about falling victim to a cyberattack. Further, in the last year, 48% of small and mid-sized businesses worldwide have experienced a cyber incident. Cyberattacks cause immediate financial losses, disruption in customer service due to downtime, loss of trust, and tarnishing of brand reputation.
A secure email server shields the business by safeguarding against such pitfalls and ensuring uninterrupted operations. In addition, a secure email server demonstrates that your business seriously considers the protection of its digital assets.
The Final Words
In the current times, email security has become more important for businesses than ever. It is a key investment when it comes to protecting your company’s sensitive data, operations, and reputation. Businesses should take a proactive approach in implementing strict email security measures, adhering to regulations, and promoting a culture of digital security. This way, organizations can thrive fearlessly and minimize risks and losses in the digital age.
