The impact of email security on brand trust

Introduction

Emails are the lifeblood of modern business communications. Every day, businesses send thousands of emails to customers, partners, and stakeholders. It's where all manner of business information is shared. But, if any email falls into the wrong hands due to a security breach, it can have consequences for both the individual and the brand. 

An effective email security strategy protects your organization from data breaches and shows a commitment to keeping sensitive information safe. This supports brand trust and shows customers that you take data privacy seriously. 

In this article, we'll explore the vital link between email security and brand trust. We’ll look at common threats that put businesses at risk, and practical steps your IT team can take to maintain a secure email ecosystem. 

Why email security is essential for brand trust  

Customers are more aware than ever of the importance of protecting their personal information. In fact, 79% of American adults are concerned about how companies use their data. With frequent headlines about data breaches, it doesn’t take much to lose their trust.  

Emails are a prime target for cyber threats, all of which can result in compromised accounts, financial losses, and the exposure of sensitive data. A single email security lapse can damage a company’s reputation and destroy customer confidence at the same time.

By focusing on email security, businesses show they’re serious about protecting customer data. This builds brand trust, strengthens customer confidence, and enhances your reputation as a secure and reliable organization. 

Here’s how email security can help: 

1. Protect customer and partner data  

Emails often contain sensitive information such as transaction details, personal data, or confidential business proposals. If your email system is breached, this data could be stolen or exposed.  

The consequences can include: 

• Loss of customer data  

• Legal penalties under GDPR or other regulations  

• Damaged trust with business partners  

Investing in robust email security shows your customers and partners that their data is safe with you. 

2. Prevent reputational damage  

Building trust takes years, but it can be destroyed in seconds. A data breach or phishing attack can ruin your credibility in an instant. Unsecure emails make your business look careless and untrustworthy, driving customers away. 

By keeping your email systems secure, you demonstrate responsibility and reliability, protecting your brand's reputation. 

3. Show accountability and transparency  

Customers expect businesses to handle their data with care. Adopting advanced email security measures shows you’re proactive and accountable. Being transparent about your practices further builds trust, positioning your brand as ethical and customer focused. 

Don't just think of email security as protecting data though. Think of it as protecting your customers, your partners, and the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build. 

Common email security threats that damage brand trust  

Email-based attacks are one of the most common ways cybercriminals target businesses, no matter how careful they are. Phishing scams, malicious emails, and fake email addresses can slip past weak security systems, putting sensitive data and operations in danger.  

Let's look at the most common email security threats, how they work, and real-world examples. 

1. Phishing and spear-phishing  

What it is: Hackers use deceptive emails to trick employees or customers into revealing sensitive information like login credentials or credit card details.  

Example: In September 2023, hackers stole the personal data of 10.6 million MGM Resorts customers. MGM estimated a $100 million financial hit that quarter. 

2. Email spoofing and brand impersonation  

What it is: Cybercriminals forge sender addresses to make fraudulent emails appear as legitimate communications from your company.  

Example: In 2016, cybercriminals impersonated senior executives at Crelan Bank in Belgium to steal 70 million euros through fraudulent offshore transfers. They used social engineering to trick the finance team into approving the transactions. 

3. Data breaches  

What it is: Cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to your email system, exposing confidential business or customer data.  

Example: In late 2018, Marriott announced a breach of its reservation system, exposing hundreds of millions of customer records, including credit card and passport numbers. Marriott was later made to pay out $52 million and improve its data security. 

4. Malware infections 

What it is: Malicious software can be installed on a system through infected email attachments, leading to loss of data, financial theft, and damage to systems. 

Example: The Darkside ransomware-as-a-service operation gained notoriety after its May 2021 attack on Colonial Pipeline, causing fuel shortages in the southeastern U.S. Colonial Pipeline paid 75 bitcoin (about $4.4 million) for a decryption key, but it took days to fully restore their systems.  

5. Man-in-the-middle attacks  

What it is: An attacker intercepts communication between two parties, allowing them to access sensitive information such as credit card numbers or login credentials.  

Example: In 2017, a data breach at Equifax exposed the information of over 147.9 million Americans, 15.2 million Britons, and 19,000 Canadians. The breach was caused by an unpatched vulnerability in Equifax's web application. Numerous lawsuits were filed against Equifax soon after the breach was disclosed. 

6. Data exfiltration  

What it is: A targeted email attack designed to steal sensitive information from an organization’s email system. This includes gaining access to email accounts to retrieve confidential data such as financial records, intellectual property, or personal details. 

Example: In April 2011, the PlayStation Network (PSN) hack exposed the personal information of millions of users. Hackers accessed Sony's network, stealing data like names, addresses, and possibly credit card details. Sony shut down the PSN for nearly a month, suffering major financial losses. 

7. Ransomware  

What it is: A type of malware that encrypts a victim's files, preventing them from accessing their device and the data stored on it.  

Example: In 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries. The attackers demanded ransom payments in Bitcoins before they'd unlock the encrypted data. Major organizations like the UK's National Health Service were forced to shut down operations due to this attack. 

8. Weak passwords 

Passwords are often the first line of defense against email security threats. Weak or easily guessable passwords can be exploited by hackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.  

Example: In January 2024, Microsoft disclosed that Russian hackers, known as Midnight Blizzard, breached its corporate network by exploiting weak passwords on a legacy non-production test account. The compromised account also lacked two-factor authentication, which let attackers access sensitive employee accounts.  

The role of email security technologies  

Addressing the challenges above requires robust email security technologies designed to protect against all threats. These tools secure your email communications and play a vital role in protecting sensitive data, preventing cyberattacks, and supporting the integrity of your brand.  

Here’s a closer look at some of the most effective solutions that can safeguard your email communications and, by extension, your brand trust. 

• Spam filters: Spam filters are essential for email security, stopping unwanted or harmful emails before they reach your inbox. They check an email's content, sender details, and patterns to see if it resembles a spam email, making sure you only receive legitimate messages. 

• Antivirus software: Antivirus software checks email attachments, links, and files for viruses and other threats. It stops harmful content from being downloaded or opened, keeping your system safe from infections that could damage your data or disrupt operations. 

• Encryption tools: Email encryption technologies like SSL/TLS help keep email content private. By encrypting data during transmission, these tools ensure that only the intended recipient can access and read the emails. This protects sensitive information from being intercepted by others. 

• Phishing protection: Phishing protection solutions are designed to identify and block attempts by cybercriminals to steal sensitive information. They analyze phishing email content, headers, and embedded links for signs of fraudulent activity, such as fake login pages or requests for personal information. This helps to reduce the risk of successful phishing attacks. 

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP tools keep an eye on outgoing emails to stop sensitive information from being sent to the wrong people or places. They can flag or block emails with private details like financial data or trade secrets. This helps organizations protect important information and stay compliant with data protection rules. 

• Email authentication protocols: Protocols such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) help verify the authenticity of an email's sender. These reduce the risk of email spoofing so that recipients can trust the emails they receive. 

• Secure email gateways: Secure email gateways protect your email server by filtering emails in and out. They block threats like malware, ransomware, and phishing before they reach users, making email communication much safer. 

• Advanced threat detection: Some email security systems use AI and machine learning to detect and stop new threats. These tools constantly monitor email traffic for anything unusual, offering protection against advanced and evolving cyberattacks. 

  
  

Email security best practices for building a secure email ecosystem

A secure email system is essential for protecting sensitive information, preventing data breaches, and maintaining trust with both your team and clients. To stay protected, it’s important to go beyond basic security measures and take a proactive approach.  

Here are 10 practical tips to help strengthen your email infrastructure and keep your communications safe: 

• Protect against phishing:
  • Use advanced email filters to catch and block harmful content before it reaches your team.
  • Scan links automatically to spot anything suspicious.
  • Encourage your employees to double-check unexpected email requests, especially if they involve sensitive data or financial details.
  • Ensure data encryption:
    • Encrypt emails, both in transit and at rest, to prevent unauthorized access.
    • Use end-to-end encryption for highly sensitive communications, so only the intended recipient can read the message.
    •  Implement strong authentication methods:
      • Add an extra layer of security to your email accounts with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
      • Use strong, unique passwords to protect your information.
      • Password managers can also help keep credentials safe and reduce the chances of reusing old passwords.
      • Conduct regular security audits:
        • Schedule regular audits to spot vulnerabilities and keep an eye out for unauthorized access.
        • Take time to review your email system’s settings, permissions, and logs for anything unusual.
        • Train employees to recognize and respond to threats:
          • Run regular security awareness training to help your team spot phishing attempts and other common threats.
          • Use simulated phishing exercises to test their readiness, uncover weak spots, and highlight potential weaknesses.
          • Use advanced email security tools:
            • Use tools like Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) or cloud-based email security solutions to block spam emails and harmful malware before they reach your inbox.
            • To prevent email spoofing, enable simple yet powerful safeguards like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
            • Establish incident response plans:
              • Be ready for email threats with a clear, actionable response plan.
              • Outline the steps to contain, investigate, and recover from incidents, so your team knows exactly what to do.
              • Make sure everyone is clear on who to contact and how to act if a breach happens.
              • Monitor email activity:
                • Set up mechanisms to monitor email usage and flag suspicious activities, such as logins from unusual locations.
                • Use alerts to quickly detect and respond to potential compromises.
                • Keep software and systems up to date:
                  • Regularly apply patches and updates to email servers, clients, and related security tools to address vulnerabilities.
                  • Stay informed about emerging email threats and adapt quickly to evolving risks.
                  • Integrate security with marketing and IT efforts:
                    • Work closely with your marketing and IT teams to create clear, consistent security policies everyone can follow.
                    • Hold joint training sessions to help your team understand potential risks and, more importantly, how to handle them.

                     

                    Strengthening brand trust through email signature management  

                    Managing email signatures is an important part of keeping your email ecosystem secure. As email signatures are a key part of your brand identity, they can also be targeted by cybercriminals. Poorly managed signatures can easily be exploited to spread malware or carry out phishing attacks, putting your reputation at risk. 

                    To prevent such incidents, you need to ensure all employees have consistent and secure email signatures by enforcing centralized signatures across the organization. 

                    How Exclaimer enhances email security  

                    Exclaimer simplifies email signature management by giving administrators a central platform to design and control employee signatures. Standardized email signatures make it easier for recipients to recognize authentic emails, helping to reduce phishing risks. This consistency also makes fraudulent emails without official signatures easier to spot. Additionally, Exclaimer works with existing security systems to minimize vulnerabilities. 

                    Exclaimer also enhances email security through the following: 

                    1. Data protection and encryption: Exclaimer keeps your data safe every step of the way. With TLS encryption and RSA-2048-bit technology, sensitive information stays protected and out of the wrong hands.  

                    2. Compliance and certifications: Trust is built on strong foundations. Exclaimer is proud to hold key certifications for SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001, and HIPAA, meeting the highest standards for security and privacy.  

                    3. Infrastructure and reliability: Hosted on the Microsoft Azure platform, Exclaimer benefits from world-class security and reliability. With datacenters across the globe, you can count on consistent service and local data residency.  

                    4. Advanced security features: From multi-factor authentication (MFA) to active DDoS protection, Exclaimer takes your email security seriously, giving you peace of mind.  

                    5. Regular audits and monitoring: Exclaimer prioritizes safety with regular audits and ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance and quickly address any vulnerabilities. 

                     

                    Protect your brand and build trust today  

                    Building trust with your clients and stakeholders is essential for any organization. Protecting your email ecosystem through advanced security measures is a critical step towards achieving this goal.  

                    By prioritizing email security technologies, implementing best practices, and using platforms like Exclaimer, you can safeguard your emails against cyber threats while maintaining brand integrity and building lasting trust. 

                    Get started on enhancing your email security today. Sign up for a free trial to see our platform for yourself.