You Get More Spam and Phishing Emails if Your Data is Breached

If you feel that you receive a lot of spam or scams, your email address has likely been captured and your data has been breached. Although most modern email systems do a great job at preventing this nefarious phishing from reaching your inbox, you still get spam.

Researchers from Google and Stanford found a very significant connection. You are 5 times more likely to receive spam emails if your email was captured as part of an email breach. Here’s the surprising part. Spammers and scammers acquire info about you from email lists. Those email lists are generated from the capture of a database breach.

One of the best defences is to update your email address every so often, but the task of updating your email address to start fresh is contrary to the efficient operation of a company. Each person’s email address is attached to so many different services and connections, changing them each time would be unrealistic.

Online Activity is Dynamic, Not Static

Any activity on the internet, or logins to required services, is an ongoing, ever-changing activity, that can’t simply be left to its own devices. It needs to be continually monitored. One of the most difficult aspects of the online economy is the unending duel between hackers and cybersecurity. You simply can’t just set it and go, it requires vigilance. You need to manage it daily.

Filter Out Fraud in Real-Time

It is important to do more than filter incoming emails. The attack needs to be addressed by identifying threats inside your system, not just at the front gate. Sophisticated fraud protection is about more than blocking, it is about “search and destroy.” If an attack is targeted, you need defences that are more sophisticated than simply identifying what is attempting to get past the email gateway. Sometimes it is not just a matter of blocking incoming threats but addressing threats that occur after the breach.

The State of Email Security

Since the shift to remote work, organizations have had to shift the way they operate, practically overnight. There has been little time to prepare. When an organization sees a problem, cybercriminals see an opportunity. Dyrand continually examines security threats and continually thinks of ways to protect your data. Cybercriminals are continually changing their strategy your protective measures need to change just as frequently.

The statistics are clear

  • 61% of all companies suffered ransomware (a malware encryption attack, requiring a ransom to be paid) in 2019.
  • Email threats rose to 64% in 2020.
  • 79% of all organizations were hurt because they lacked proper cybersecurity

Weighing the Challenges with the Risks

Something to consider is the task of shedding your “email skin” for some other address. It is a good way to avoid an attack. Many times, especially for larger companies, and an email change simply is not realistic. Many organizations have ongoing training to keep their employees current on what they should look for in their emails.

Dyrand is here to make your data exchange secure so that you can avoid repeatedly changing emails like musical chairs every time you’re breached.