{"id":21012,"date":"2022-02-21T23:31:53","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T23:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=21012"},"modified":"2025-05-08T19:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T19:00:10","slug":"the-small-business-guide-to-secure-email","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/the-small-business-guide-to-secure-email\/","title":{"rendered":"The Small Business Guide to Secure Email"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s cyber world, there\u2019s no denying that malicious actors target individuals rather than infrastructure directly. It\u2019s much easier to find a weak link within a company and get access to information and assets through that route. When it comes to cyberattacks, no one is safe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Deloitte<\/span><\/a>, 91% of all cyberattacks begin with a phishing email to an unsuspecting target. Cybercrime is more than just the high-profile attack cases we read in the news. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are also targeted with the same attacks as large enterprises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence, businesses of all sizes need <\/span>secure email solutions. For small businesses <\/b>in particular though, mitigating cyberattacks is key to survival.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide provides several ways to protect your business via secure email. But before we dive into that, <\/span>what is secure email for small business<\/b> anyway and how can you achieve it?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Secure Email?<\/b><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve talked about <\/span>business email accounts<\/span><\/a> before, so you already know how they differ from your regular old Gmail, Microsoft, or Yahoo services. Here, we\u2019re talking about protecting the infrastructure that contains all your business emails.<\/span><\/p>\n

Email security consists of a few components, including email encryption, secure email gateways, and authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.<\/span><\/p>\n

To cover all these aspects, especially the encryption part, there are a few services in the market. A <\/span>secure email service for a small business <\/b>works much like regular email, but with a few security enhancements. The Standard Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) sends emails as plain text, thus they are extremely vulnerable to outside attacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Neither IMAP nor POP3 protect files stored in the email server. Not only do you need secure message transfer, but the received messages must be stored in a secure place, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

You might be able to secure your email account from hackers via two or multifactor authentication, but you need another layer of defense to protect your data from unauthorized access. <\/span>Secure email providers for small businesses<\/b> offer this added protection.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does secure email work? Well, it\u2019s simple. When you send a message to a recipient, the secure email algorithm determines whether it needs to be encoded depending on the set criteria. If it meets the requirements, the email is encoded and sent to the recipient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is Secure Email Important?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Businesses without secure email are easy targets for email phishing attacks. Email security makes things a little more difficult for attackers, helping to mitigate cyberattacks via email.<\/span><\/p>\n

In most cases, email attacks try to lure users into approving a fake transfer request, divulging confidential information, or downloading malicious software that can infect your network or hold your data to ransom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter the size of your business, a successful email phishing attack can cause catastrophic damages, including financial losses, downtime, and reputation damage. With secure email, third parties or cyberactors find it challenging to hijack your communications , thereby reducing your risk exposure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Ensure Secure Email for Small Businesses<\/b><\/h2>\n

Most SMBs neglect email security because of various factors, including lack of budget and IT personnel. Some even use personal emails for work, dispersing their ability to treat the domain and email infrastructure as a holistic entity. In such cases, it would be pointless to even talk about implementing enterprise-class security infrastructure<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, the internet is full of tips and tricks for securing your business email. Still, you only need three steps to achieve your secure email goals: adequate prevention, up-to-date education, and swift, impactful responses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevention<\/b><\/h3>\n

From the second you set up your small business email \u201cfamily,\u201d you have to think big. No matter how many email accounts you have, adhering to protocols, doing regular backups, and establishing other best practices will set you up for success. Remember: preventing a disaster is always easier than dealing with the aftermath.<\/span><\/p>\n