Windows is no stranger to security issues. Blogger Susanna Ray (from the Microsoft News Center staff) released a blog highlighting the importance of security, especially in light of the Panama Papers hack in April.
Security is something we can all work on, especially when it comes to our email security. Your emails are probably where you are the most vulnerable. Not only are all of your passwords intrinsically connected with your email, messages are often rife with viruses and trojans working to steal your precious information. In a blog post today by Microsoft, the IT professionals who developed Outlook provided three excellent ways to help secure your email from hackers (lest your security get breached like those responsible for the Panama Papers Hack).
Email Hacks Are Far More Common Than You Might Think
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Last year, nearly 2,000 accounts were breached across the world, and over 707 million data records were compromised, according to Gemalto’s 2015 Breach Level Index. And as Windows says, while email has definitely come a long way, it’s still “one of the greatest threats to data security.”
To Combat These Threats, Microsoft Says That You Should:
- Encrypt all of your most important emails
Most businesses or individuals don’t require or wouldn’t consider encrypting emails, but it prevents hackers from easily accessing vulnerable information. This information can lead to a potential breach, or provide information that helps a hacker make their next move. - Create a culture of security (especially within businesses)
Family members and employees alike should remember not to share passwords with anyone. Hackers use just one person to get into a network through a vulnerability, and then send internal emails and IT requests that look official.Keep your passwords secure, and never give them out, no matter what. - Only use email services that offer impressive security functionality
There are a lot of services out there, but they don’t all promote secure business communication. Your business needs a service that actively protects sensitive information, with protection against spam and phishing attacks. It should also monitor content, protect data losses due to malicious URLs.
You Don’t Have to Stress About a Potential Data Casualty
Most of the Internet services that people normally use are pretty secure for their functionalities. The issue is when secure, private information is leaked by professionals attack profiles like Mossack Fonseca. The problem is that all businesses have an integral responsibility to protect their user’s information (or they’ll likely lose support). All businesses should look to get more from their email services whenever possible, including protection against malware, viruses, and malicious URL’s, says Microsoft. For more information, check out the Microsoft office blog, found here.