E-Mail as an Entry Point

Email represents a potential IT risk and entry point for hackers, and so IT teams must integrate appropriate safeguards.

Learning Objective

Understand the risks associated with organizational email systems and the tools available to offset those risks

Key Points

Email is used by virtually every organization on the planet and is an often targeted weakness by hackers.
Opening an email could potentially enable an executable file, which could contain a virus. Once this virus enters just one device, the shared professional network is at risk.
Utilizing tools such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and encryption can help block attempts to hack via email.
Organizations must be aware of the potential risks, and invest in IT accordingly to offset them.

Terms

Firewall
A gateway between the internet and a local network, allowing or denying access based upon protocols.
Encryption
A method of scrambling and unscrambling information to protect it during digital transmission (in the context of email).

Full Text

Why Email is a Business Risk

Virtually every business and individual with internet access has an email account of some sort. Emails are files sent from one computer to another, and those files can contain virtually anything, including executable files. If a virus is transferred to a computer and executed internally, it can gain access to the device of an employee that has access to centralized databases. At this point, the virus has now infected the entire organization and, if not caught, can download, manipulate, export, and alter any and all customer data, strategic assets, and potentially even valuable IP.

As a result, protecting the inboxes of the employees at an organization is critical to minimizing this risk. There are a variety of mechanisms designed to do exactly that.

Email

This image shows the transmission of an email from one device to another.

How to Protect Your Inbox

There are a few simple steps organizations should take to protect their email systems. These include:

Firewalls - Simply put, a firewall permits or denies communication from the network based upon specific parameters. Setting stricter parameters with verification built in can stop viruses from accessing the network.
Encryption - Encryption takes a message and scrambles the contents of that message upon sending. The sender must enable the receiver to unscramble that message, and this can be done in a variety of ways. For example, business partners may agree on a password that will unlock the contents of an email and verify the sender while protecting the contents during transmission.

Encryption

This shows a simple visual representation of how encryption works.

Anti-virus Software - Anti-virus programs are designed to record libraries of data on common viruses, and scan all incoming email traffic (as well as internal files and databases) for signs of malicious software.
Intrusion detection systems (IDS) - Similar to anti-viruses, these programs scan devices and networks for malicious activity or violations to the preset policies.

As the world grows more and more digitally connected, the risks will continue to elevate. Being aware of the risks and investing in a strong IT infrastructure is key to mitigating the potential risks.

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