STAFF MAIL

CYBERSECURITY AND EMAILS

The cyber threat landscape has evolved tremendously over the past few years, driven by rapid technological advancements and global inter-connectivity. The threat landscape is the full range of known and potential cybersecurity risks that could impact particular industries, user groups or organizations. As new cyber threats emerge, the threat landscape changes accordingly. Cyber criminals are diversifying their tactics, and no sector remains unscathed. The staggering projected rise to $10.5 trillion in cyber crime costs by 2025 mirrors the increasing audacity and complexity of attacks. 

The following statistics reveal crucial insights into the evolving landscape of cyber threats. They underscore a critical reality:

1. Worldwide cyber crime costs are estimated to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, emphasizing the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures (Cybersecurity Ventures).
2. Phishing continues to be the most common email attack method, accounting for 39.6% of all email threats (Hornetsecurity’s Cyber Security Report 2024).
3. 94% of malware is delivered over email (Panda).
4. Spear phishing attachments were used in 62% of phishing attacks, while links were used in 33% and as a service in 5% (IBM Security X-Force 2023).
5. Business Email Compromise (BEC), often involving spear phishing links, accounted for 6% of incidents, with spear phishing links used in half of these cases (IBM Security X-Force 2023).
6. Phishing was identified as the primary infection vector in 41% of cybersecurity incidents. (IBM Security X-Force 2023).
7. The number of thread hijacking attempts doubled in 2022 compared to 2021 (IBM Security X-Force 2023).

Malicious or potentially risky emails and URLs land in our mailboxes daily. And while we have put in place mechanism to filter such emails, some still get past the gateway by disguise of marketing newsletters or adverts. Only one user needs to click on a malicious email attachment or URL that has managed to slip past the secure email gateway to compromise the entire email server. These consequently leads to the frequent mail downtime that we have been experiencing.  It is essential, therefore, to adhere to the following Dos and Don’ts in relation to our email security.

Email Security Dos

1. Change the default given email password to a unique password that you can remember
2. Always sign out from your email account once done
3. Always delete work non related emails from your mailbox

Email Security Don’ts

1. Don’t save your email password on devices unless you are using a secure password manager
2. Don’t click on links or URLs send to your inbox for example links telling you to upgrade your email
3. Don’t click on links send from marketing companies
4. Don’t open attachments from marketing or advertising companies as could be potentially harmful

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