Email Security Archives - CT Link Systems, Inc.

With the rising number of cyber threats and strict data protection laws like the GDPR, businesses need to make securing their email communications a top priority. Let’s dive in on what the GDPR email security requirements are and what it means for Philippines businesses.

Understanding GDPR and Email Security

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a powerful data protection law established by the European Union in 2018. Its main goal is to protect personal data and give individuals more control over how their information is used. The regulation includes key rules, such as the right for individuals to access, correct, or delete their data, and requires organizations to implement proper security measures to safeguard this information.

Email security plays a vital role in meeting GDPR requirements, especially when it comes to defending against sophisticated threats beyond common phishing and spam. Today, businesses must stay alert to dangers like Business Email Compromise (BEC) and QR Code Phishing (Quishing). BEC involves attackers gaining access to a company’s email system to impersonate employees or trusted partners, often leading to severe financial losses. Quishing, on the other hand, uses QR codes to lure users to malicious websites, which is becoming a bigger threat as QR codes are used more frequently.

Key technologies that bolster email security include:

Spam Filters: These tools are crucial for screening incoming emails and identifying harmful content. Using pattern recognition and machine learning, spam filters can block not only traditional spam but also more advanced phishing attempts.

Email Encryption: This ensures that only the intended recipients can read the emails. Technologies like S/MIME and PGP encrypt emails, protecting sensitive data during transmission and preventing unauthorized access.

Secure Email Gateways: Acting as the first line of defense, these gateways analyze and filter all email traffic. They use multiple layers of security, including malware detection, data loss prevention, and encryption, to guard against both known and emerging threats.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP tools monitor email content to prevent the accidental or intentional sharing of sensitive information. By enforcing data protection policies, DLP ensures compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations.

Credential Stuffing and Session Hijacking Prevention: As attackers increasingly use stolen credentials from unrelated breaches to gain unauthorized access, businesses need to adopt measures to detect and block credential stuffing. Additionally, securing session management practices is essential to prevent session hijacking, where attackers take over a user’s session to impersonate them.

Implementing GDPR-Compliant Email Security Measures

The GDPR requires organizations to take strong security measures to protect personal data, making email security a key priority. Technologies like email encryption and secure gateways are crucial for keeping communications private and safe from unauthorized access. Advanced email security tools not only help prevent breaches but also allow businesses to quickly respond to and report any incidents, helping them stay compliant with GDPR.

For businesses in the Philippines, these measures are especially important due to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA), which shares many of the same requirements as GDPR. By adopting GDPR-compliant email security practices, Filipino businesses can avoid penalties when handling data from EU citizens, enhance their reputation, and build trust with international partners. Using technologies like spam filters, secure email gateways, and DLP systems not only strengthens email security but also ensures compliance with both GDPR and DPA standards.

To learn more about Email Security solutions or other solutions for the GDPR or DPA, contact us at marketing@ctlink.com.ph to set a meeting with us today!

Email has been a staple use of communication ever since it was introduced. Businesses are constantly trying to keep their email security updated to avoid attacks and data leaks. However, attacks like phishing are constantly evolving to evade email security technology. From attacks that try to fool users into clicking links to emails exploiting vulnerabilities, attackers are mixing or combining them to better succeed in getting into your network. This is why it is important to not only update your security, but to also educate your users.

Below are a few of these methods that are being used in the online environment that you and your users should be aware of:

Favicon Evasion

The first Phishing evasion method affects the icon of the browser tab called the favicon. If you look carefully at some links that ask you to login to your account, there are some inconsistencies. The left image and right image are similar but have major differences. This is purposely done to evade detection from email security, the left image has different color patterns then the actual Microsoft logo.

Logo Evasion

They also apply small differences on the logos they use on the login link. The left image uses a similar font and is in bold. This is to cause errors in template matching and increase the chance of being missed in Phising detection engines similar to the Favicon Evasion method.

Form Evasion

When looking at the inside of the sign-in link (the HTML code), we might see some things that look suspicious. Some detection engines are looking for form codes, so what attackers do is use <div> tags instead to look exactly the same.

Suspicious Text in Images

Some detection engines scan for fields that asks for a user’s password, like “enter password”. This is then investigated if this is a legitimate site. How attackers try to bypass this, they use a text image of “enter password” to evade this.

Phishing evasion methods Suspicious Text

Input Field in Disguise

Another technique that phishing detection engines may use is scanning the HTML for input fields, indicating that this might be a credential theft attempt. In this attack, attackers hide an input field by creating an empty div with a background image showing the word password. This is another way attackers evade detection from email security solutions.

To learn more on email security methods or if you would like to better educate your users, you can consult with us by sending us an email at marketing@www.ctlink.com.ph!

Tag: Email Security