Email Security Checklist
Email security is paramount. While systems can catch many suspicious emails, it's crucial for everyone to understand some basic steps to verify whether an email is genuine or potentially harmful. This doesn't require a deep understanding of computer systems but more of an awareness of what to look out for and why.
Here are some key points to remember when you are reviewing email, especially if it seems a bit off:
- Does the subject line make sense - Odd or overly urgent subject lines can be a sign of a scam.
- Check the quarantine reason, if you have one – If the hold reason is anything more than “Spam”, careful consideration should be had.
- Look at who else got the email - If the recipient list seems strange, that's a red flag.
- Verify sender and return – If these items are mis-matched, it could be someone impersonating the sender, but the return email will be redirected to the return address.
- Consider security checks – Any failures to DMARC, DKIM, and SPF could signal the mail is not properly secured or impersonation is happening.
- Check the URLS and attachments – If the URLS look suspicious, or the attachments unwarranted, they could be credential portals or malware.
In short, always be cautious when handling emails, especially those that seem unusual in any way. It's better to be safe than sorry!