Email and collaboration tools are required for running a modern “work anywhere” business, but they also raise your cybersecurity risk. Email remains the primary point of attack for bad actors. At the same time, collaboration tools provide them with a new and inviting threat surface – all conspiring to increase the chances of a breach.
Email remains the No. 1 attack vector
While email has rivals in chat and text, it’s still widely used for business communications. Eight of 10 (82 percent) companies reported a higher volume of email in 2022, according to Mimecast’s State of Email Security (SOES) 2023 report. Of course, more email means more email-based threats. Not surprisingly, three out of four (74 percent) respondents to the SOES survey say attacks have risen over the past 12 months.
The three most prevalent types of email-borne attacks are:
- Phishing – Attackers send messages posing as reputable contacts or companies to glean passwords or other sensitive information.
- Ransomware – Attackers install malware threatening to release, delete, or block access to a user’s sensitive data unless a ransom is paid.
- Spoofing – Attackers misappropriate email/web domains to send deceptive messages requesting personal information.
Each of these attacks exploit data in transit and the potential for human error. With the increase in mobile devices, the vectors for attack have grown, increasing businesses’ risk of attack. Three in four (76 percent) of the SOES respondents expect an email-borne attack will severely affect their organization in the coming year.
Collaboration tools provide a new attack surface
Collaboration tools share a similar story with email. Ninety percent of SOES respondents agree that collaboration tools are essential to company functions, and 82 percent report that usage continues to grow. At the same time, more than one-third of respondents (38 percent) say the number of cyberattacks via collaboration tools is on the upswing.
Growth in chatting, filesharing, screensharing, and video calling means more points of entry and greater vulnerability. Three-quarters (75 percent) of the study respondents said collaboration tools pose new threats that urgently need to be addressed.
Lower the risk with cybersecurity training and tools
Greater use of email and collaboration tools present a greater cybersecurity risk for your organizations. What can you do? Here are a few ways to shore up security to protect your company, employees, and customers:
- Keep email safe with an advanced email security solution to eliminate spam, malware, phishing, and targeted impersonation attacks.
- Protect your web at the DNS level to stop malware and inappropriate web use in their tracks.
- Train your employees to reduce security risks due to human error.
- Enlist the help of an experienced managed service provider like Cox Business.
