Email is a mission critical resource vital to daily operations. As well as facilitating speedy communication and decision making, its inexpensive operating costs, easy audit trail and paper saving properties make it the preferred communication method for most companies. Unfortunately increased reliance on these systems brings an increase in spam and potentially harmful attacks. This guide explores the primary threats facing our inboxes and the methods we can adopt to stop junk mail and protect data.
Identifying the threats – Spyware, Phishing and Viruses
Spam is a serious email problem which continues to negatively impact on our business security, profit and productivity as it hits our systems in a number of different guises. Currently accounting for around 80% of corporate email (this number varies regionally), industry analysts predict that spam and junk mail will account for 90% of email by 2008.
One of the primary threats spam blockers are dealing with is Spyware. Taking many forms, this malicious software can deliver unrequested advertising (pop-up ads), harvest private information and monitor user activities. It can also re-route Web requests or install stealth phone dialers. A further unwelcome byproduct of many spyware programs is that they can significantly impair system performance and consume network resources. Spyware programs also usually incorporate design features which make them difficult to remove from a system. As a result, the cost to an organisation can be high.
While today’s technologies and advanced spam blockers make stopping junk mail seem a simple process, identifying spyware is not always easy as it is often bundled with legitimate software titles which install secondary programs to collect data or distribute advertisement content. The main types currently affecting business productivity are hacker tools, key loggers, trojans and worms. These all pose serious risks for business productivity from both a technical and privacy perspective.
Phishing
When businesses look at how to protect data, a main concern is often phishing. Phishing is the practice of tricking unsuspecting customers into imparting confidential information for illegal use. Typically this involves sending a false email to a customer which claims to be from a legitimate business that the customer has had prior dealings with. The email then entices the customer into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The phish email directs the user to visit a fraudulent website that mimics the look of the legitimate business the customer normally deals with. On the fraudulent site, they are then asked to update their personal information such as passwords, credit card and bank account numbers. Both businesses and customers are affected by these phishing scams and analysts predict they will continue to rise as we increase our use of e-commerce sites.
Viruses
A further threat which is not new, but continuously changing, comes from viruses. Where previously spam blockers focused on sudden impact viruses, researchers warn that these are being superseded by slow-burning worms that focus on avoiding detection and bypassing traditional anti-virus software. Many of these viruses attempt to install key loggers, in a similar way to spyware attacks, to record passwords and personal details leading to identity theft and other related issues. Some corporations address this by stripping all attachments from incoming email, but this is disruptive to day to day business. Fortunately today’s sophisticated systems are introducing more advanced methods to protect data.
How to stop spam in your mailbox
To help fight the threat of spam in your mailbox, a number of technologies and tools are being used to restrict and manage access. These include firewalls, spam and email filtering, virus blocking and policy control including the creation of customised blacklists. While a number of companies now offer these services, it is wise to partner a specialist who can deliver a solution tailored specifically to your business needs. A good partner will work with you and use these technologies to reduce operational costs and improve network bandwidth. Their solutions should shield you from liability by preventing unauthorised access to confidential documents and will assist in ensuring regulatory compliance by offering a clear email trail. Further to this, your chosen partner’s recommendations should help you to improve employee productivity by reducing distractions from junk mail, phishing and inappropriate messages as well as eliminating downtime caused by viruses and other malware.
acs office solutions is experienced in all areas of spam control, utilising the latest and most effective technologies and processes to improve productivity and eliminate network disruption.
