Email Server Security Best Practices

Earlier, the best practices for email security were simple: do not rely on email as it is an unauthenticated and untrustworthy messaging service. This advice still holds, and the same security practices from decades ago are still valid today. 

However, due to email’s growing importance in business, it is now recommended to follow a more robust set of security practices to ensure Email Server Security.

Email Hosting for businesses is a secure way to protect your inbox. By opting for an Email Hosting service, you can take advantage of spam and virus filtering features, ensuring your inbox remains safe and secure. 

Some Email Server Security Best Practices

1. Get an SSL Certificate

Acquiring an SSL certificate is essential to protect the privacy of your emails. When your employees send or receive emails, an unsecured connection can allow unauthorized individuals to intercept, modify, or steal your data. 

With an SSL certificate, you can encrypt the communication between your email server and other email servers to prevent interception. This extra layer of security ensures that your communications remain confidential.

2. Deploy a Firewall 

By setting up a firewall for your server, you can efficiently monitor both inbound and outbound email traffic. The firewall will send you notifications of suspicious activities and block specific traffic based on the filter rules you set up. 

This step can help safeguard your server from being used as a relay for sending spam emails and prevent DDoS attacks.

3. Use a Strong Password

Avoid using passwords that are easy to guess, such as “123456” or “123456789,” to strengthen your email security further. Instead, opt for a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. 

It’s also a good idea to steer clear of personal information like birthdays, student IDs, and hometowns. Consider using phrases instead of words, as they can be more difficult to crack. Various platforms also encourage these tips to help you keep your accounts secure.

4. Employ DMARC, SPF, and DKIM Methods

It’s important to use three authentication methods – DMARC, DKIM, and SPF- to ensure your emails are successfully delivered to the recipient’s inbox. These methods work together to verify the authenticity of your emails and safeguard your sender’s reputation. 

• Sender Policy Framework (SPF) verifies if an email comes from an IP address authorized to send mail to a specific domain.
•  DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) uses encryption to authenticate that the sender sends the message and has not been tampered with. Though it’s a more secure method than SPF, it requires more time to set up.
• Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) lets you to establish guidelines for handling emails that fail authentication.

5. Use Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA requires you to provide two or more forms of identification to verify your identity. This could include a password and a one-time code sent to a mobile device or the use of a fingerprint. 

For example, when logging in to your email, you must enter your password and a code sent to your phone. Without this second form of identification, your account cannot be accessed, which helps to prevent unauthorized access and protects your data.

6. Train Employees

Educating your employees on good cybersecurity practices, including recognizing signs of phishing attacks, is essential. During security awareness training, cover email security and discuss your company’s email security policy, common email security threats, and best practices for staying safe.

Conclusion

In addition to the above security measures, secure Email Hosting services will set up your mail servers to utilize industry-standard data encryption. 

This ensures that any data sent to or from the server is encrypted from the moment you sign in to your account until you log out. This means you can rest easy, knowing that any sensitive information in your inbox is protected.