Technology continues to improve every day. One look at the Internet and you can see how far technology has come—so much so that it’s become part of people’s daily lives. Today, large and small businesses use emails to relay important documents or instructions to both their clients and personnel. As such, having a secure email is more a necessity than just mere convenience.
Email security is an important skill to hone in order to be fully on board with your daily tasks and demands. You know how frustrating it can be when your account gets compromised or accessed by unknown individuals.
Unexpected bad situations can lead to huge losses and data security issues, so it’s important you keep your email safe & secure.
Here are four tips to keep in mind to maximize email security.
It’s Recommended You Have a Minimum of Two Email Addresses
You and your employees likely receive a steady supply of emails from corporate offices, managers, and other members daily. It may be a normal occurrence, but the influx of messages can be overwhelming at times. You can easily lose track of who you are supposed to send things to or what you were supposed to send initially.
Given this common issue, IT professionals believe in having at least two emails separate from each other. Your first email should be the domain email you file under your company. This type of email is not registered under Gmail or Yahoo and is used specifically for any transactions or communication within the company or when you represent your company.
The next email would be your personal, or non-work, email — the one you register under free email program companies or free email providers. You can use this to register yourself at other websites or web services that meet your needs or interests outside the company.
Having more than one email comes with many benefits. One of the most impactful benefits you gain is the reduced possibility of sharing your personal or professional information with the wrong people. Another benefit? The potential number of emails you receive will be drastically reduced since you have essentially created a filter to separate personal and work emails.
Another benefit of having multiple emails is minimizing the chances of getting spammed or regularly mailed by bots. For example, your business email may be subject to being shared due to company activities. Thus, having a single email may bog you down with too many documents or attachments.
Use Two-Factor Authentication in Addition to Having Strong Passwords
A strong password is the first step to securing anything you have online. Many experts strongly recommend you include symbols, numbers, or even phrases in your password to maximize your email security. Having a lengthy passcode mixed with the mentioned characters makes it exceptionally difficult to guess or decrypt your email account password.
The use of two-factor authentication is also rising in popularity as an added security feature to go with your password. We are now entering a time when having two-factor authentication is becoming more and more widespread as it helps create a second failsafe; difficult for potential breachers to access. There are authenticator apps as well. They provide rotating numbers that need to match within a time limit. This is nearly impossible to spoof and when combined with a strong password system should keep you protected.
Two-factor authentication is often achieved with a simple and easy tool that can save you from cyber-attacks in exchange for a few seconds of your time. It uses an authenticator linked to either a personal device or your phone to reduce any chances of unwanted login attempts.
Suppose you receive a notification an unknown person has tried to access your email account. This notification gives you time to take steps to change passwords while keeping the unknown entity from accessing your account.
Have an Anti-Virus Software Installed and Never Open Links or Attachments You Were Not Expecting or Seems Out of Character for Someone to Send You
One of the popular and lifesaving investments experts recommend you get is proper internet security and an antivirus program when running Windows. Having antivirus software not only protects your system from unwanted viruses and malware you can come upon while browsing the web, but it also blocks certain pop-ups, phishing sites, and unsafe websites.
Certain antivirus software packages also include extra security functions to scan documents, attachments, or files in your emails before you download them. Scanning is particularly important due to the rising trend in sending viruses or other threats through unknown or misleading files. When you run across an email you are unsure of, scanning can help protect you from potential attacks.
If you lack any form of internet security, it is highly recommended you never open links or attachments from any email you were not expecting. Hackers and scammers can cause significant damage to you and any entities they can find in your emails. Therefore, it is always better to err on the side of caution when an unknown or unfamiliar sender tests you.
Call a Professional Company to Help You Secure Your Emails
The internet is an open-source of information to you and everyone accessing it. Thus, you need to make sure your private conversations and data are always kept secure and protected. We know managing all your IT concerns can be difficult, and emails are just the tip of the iceberg.
AK Consulting is your go-to partner to help you find solutions for all tech-related concerns.
With over two decades of experience behind us, we will provide you with unparalleled expertise and diligence for your IT concerns.
Call us at 612 408 5315 to schedule your free initial Discovery Call today.