Email Security Tips that Will Keep Business, and Their Contacts, Safe

Few people think about whether or not their email

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is secure. They simply send one email after another, sometimes filled with personal information, and never dream the information could be hacked by someone with dishonorable intentions. Business owners often do the exact same thing. The amount of information business owners can get from a single unsecured email account is alarming, everything from addresses, contact information, credit card numbers, and contact lists.

The good news is business owners can protect themselves, their vendors, and their customers by following these simple email security tips.

Create Separate Accounts

The topic of separate accounts has been on the news lately, which makes this a great time to review why you shouldn't mix and match your business and personal email

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accounts. Having one account you only use for personal use and one that's just for business purposes limits the amount of information a hacker can access. Experts on email security tips advise creating a third account for social media registration purposes.

Avoid Links

When an email is received that contains nothing but a link, don’t click the link, even if the email was sent from a trusted address. The arrival of an email that contains nothing but a link indicates the senders’ account was hacked. Clicking the link gives the hacker access to another account. In addition to letting the owner of the hacked account know about the situation, business owners should also change the password they use to access their own account.

Pay Attention to Phishing Scams

Phishing scams can be difficult to identify. Individuals who indulge in phishing scams create emails that look like they have been sent by a trusted company, usually one with a reputation for sending emails

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such as Facebook, Paypal, or Amazon, and compose a message asking for specific information. It's the request for information that gives the email away as part of a phishing scam. Large companies never send emails asking for information, they request customers provide information on their website and then send a confirmation email. Contact the company that the email supposedly came from and let them deal with the problem on their end.

Update Virus Software

Anti-viral software does an excellent job of identifying harmful emails

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and blocking them. The better the anti-virus program, the safer the email account will remain. In addition to using a good program, business owners need to make sure it stays turned on and updated.

Sticking to these email security tips allow business owners to feel secure when sending emails to vendors and customers.

1. Email Security Guide (2021) - Secure Your Emails From Today's (guardiandigital.com).

2. 9 Email Security Best Practices For 2021 (phoenixnap.com).

3. The 6 Most Secure Email Services and the Security Measures They Practice (zapier.com).

4. #BeCyberSmart: When we learn together, we’re more secure together (microsoft.com).