Hybrid and remote work is changing how an organization runs; traditional email enables communication, collaboration, and decision-making by connecting team members across different locations, time zones, and devices. Whether you’re sending frequent status updates or conducting very sensitive transactions, emails play a vital role.
However, email security risks are increasing with remote work. Many employees are working away from the corporate network, which increases security risks compared to an office environment where there are centralized controls and face-to-face contact for protection.
This blog explains how a combination of advanced technology, well-defined security policies, and ongoing employee security education significantly reduces risk.
Why Remote Work Has Increased Email Security Exposure
Remote employees typically work over regular internet connections or Wi-Fi, using consumer-grade equipment. This distribution of employee infrastructure is more prone to exploitation, as attackers can intercept employee communications and compromise employee networks/devices.
Apart from that, phishing and spoofing cases are increasing exponentially. BEC attacks target employees working remotely. Attackers send requests for sensitive information (username/password/information) that appear legitimate and will usually state that the information must be provided immediately. An example of spoofing is when the sender's email address is modified to appear legitimate.
If employees are working in the office, they can verify the legitimacy of the request by verifying with a co-worker or the IT department, but remote employees are often unable to verify requests. This encourages fraudsters to use social engineering techniques that utilize publicly available information.
Organizations need to implement solid email security policies to safeguard their resources. Without taking proactive actions, the ease of remote work can easily lead to liability.
How Remote Teams Can Reduce Email-Based Security Risks
Companies should implement multiple and overlapping protections that cover technology, processes, and human behavior as a means of providing multiple levels of defense against email-related security risks and to help minimize threats.
1. Strengthen Email Authentication and Account Security
One way to add an additional security layer is by implementing MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) for all employees' email accounts. It can protect against unauthorized access through a security breach or phishing scheme even when the password is compromised.
When implementing MFA, organizations should ensure their employees use strong and unique passwords. They need to continuously monitor employees' accounts for unusual or suspicious activity. Conducting regular reviews and audits of employee accounts can help identify possible security breaches early.
Organizations must implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to validate the identity of legitimate email senders.
-
SPF enables an organization to define which IP addresses are authorized to send email for a domain.
-
DKIM verifies the email integrity by applying cryptographic signatures.
-
DMARC provides instructions to email servers on what to do based on SPF and DKIM results.
DMARC with policies such as "quarantine" or "reject" provides stronger protection against spoofed email than monitoring (p=none). When organizations set up DMARC, they can start with monitoring to identify legitimate email senders and migrate to DMARC policies to become more stringent to prevent the disruption of legitimate email communications.
Once DMARC reaches enforcement, organizations can also display their verified logo in recipients’ inboxes through BIMI. For remote employees who can’t walk over to confirm a sender, a verified logo on mail from vendors and partners is a quick visual cue that a message is genuine. Teams considering this additional branding measure should factor the verified mark certificate cost into their implementation budget.
2. Build Multiple Layers of Email Protection
AI and ML solutions can filter emails before they ever hit an inbox by inspecting the sender’s reputation, content, and behavior. They also provide a good way to complement authentication protocols.
Sensitive emails need to be encrypted both in transit and at rest. Using tools that can provide end-to-end encryption means that even if someone intercepts the message, they will not have access to the content.
Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to scan outgoing emails to look for sensitive information such as financial data or Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This will help prevent accidental and/or malicious leaks.
Updating your email platforms, client applications, and security tools regularly will close known vulnerabilities. It is also important to review and delete any unused emails.
3. Strengthen Employee Awareness and Security Culture
Providing employees with ongoing awareness training on how to spot potential phishing attempts will help them identify warning signs.
Ensure an easy suspicious email reporting process for your remote employees too. You can also set up a dedicated email address for employees to send reports to your security team.
Encourage employees to use stronger passwords and verify requests for unusual payments, sensitive data, or access to sensitive systems by using a separate method rather than replying to the email itself.
4. Continuously Monitor and Improve Email Security
Monitor your organization’s e-mail activity for anomalies, such as abnormal sending patterns or login attempts, using tools or built-in functionality on the email platform.
Conduct routine e-mail security assessments of your physical email infrastructure, e.g., authentication logs, filtering, and access logs; schedule routine assessments every six months.
Regularly review and revise authentication policies to address new threats and evolving business needs; conduct simulated phishing tests to evaluate employee responses and refine training and policies based on the results.
Common Email Risks Faced by Remote Teams
-
Phishing is the biggest threat remote employees face. Phishing emails often have dangerous links or attachments that are intended to either steal someone’s credentials or deliver malware.
-
Domain spoofing and executive impersonation attacks are used by attackers to target remote workers. They forge emails to look like they are coming from either a trusted domain or a high-level executive and request that employees wire money or provide sensitive information. BEC scams use tactics like this to mimic real business processes; this is why they are quite successful.
-
Credential theft is one of the most common ways to compromise an email account. Once an attacker gains access to that user’s email account, they can read sensitive emails, send phishing emails from that user’s legitimate address, and pivot into other networks.
Using personal devices, personal email accounts, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks adds additional risk. These types of configurations often bypass corporate security tools, creating blind spots for the company.
Conclusion
In remote work, there is a higher risk of email-based security threats due to insecure networks and the inability to verify unauthorized emails face-to-face with a co-worker or the IT team. The best defense against these evolving email threats will require an integrated approach. A combination of advanced authentication methods, extensive use of multifactor authentication, layered security technologies, continuous email monitoring, and employee awareness training can help to create a more resilient defense against email threats.
