The Potential Risks of Not Having a DMARC Policy in Place for Your Organization's Email Domain email security policy

Risks of Not Having a DMARC Policy for Your Email Domain

by Security

In today’s digital age, email remains one of the primary communication channels for businesses worldwide. However, with the convenience of email comes significant security risks, especially from threats like phishing, spoofing, and email fraud. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is a crucial security protocol designed to protect email domains from these threats. Yet, many organizations still operate without a DMARC email security policy in place, exposing themselves to substantial risks. 

This article explores the potential dangers of not implementing a DMARC policy for your organization’s email domain.

1. Increased Risk of Email Spoofing

Email spoofing involves the forgery of an email header so that the message appears to come from a legitimate source, often within the same organization. Without a DMARC policy, cybercriminals can easily spoof your domain to send fraudulent emails. These emails can deceive recipients into believing they are from a trusted source, leading to phishing attacks or data breaches. Spoofed emails can damage your organization’s reputation and erode trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders.

2. Higher Susceptibility to Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are a common method used by attackers to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and financial details. Without DMARC, it becomes easier for attackers to impersonate your domain and send convincing phishing emails to your employees or customers. These attacks can result in significant financial loss, data breaches, and legal liabilities for your organization.

3. Damage to Brand Reputation

Your organization’s email domain is a critical component of your brand identity. When attackers use your domain to send malicious emails, it not only leads to potential security breaches but also damages your brand’s reputation. Customers and partners who receive phishing emails from what appears to be your domain may lose trust in your organization. Rebuilding a damaged reputation can be a costly and time-consuming process.

4. Reduced Email Deliverability

Email service providers (ESPs) and spam filters increasingly rely on DMARC policies to authenticate incoming emails. Without a DMARC policy, your legitimate emails may be marked as spam or rejected altogether. This reduction in email deliverability can impact your organization’s communication efforts, marketing campaigns, and overall operational efficiency.

5. Lack of Visibility into Email Threats

One of the key benefits of implementing a DMARC email security policy is the reporting feature, which provides insights into how your email domain is being used and whether it is being abused. Without DMARC, you lack visibility into these potential threats and cannot take proactive measures to mitigate them. This absence of insight leaves your organization vulnerable to ongoing and undetected attacks.

Conslusion:

The implementation of a DMARC email security policy is not just a technical enhancement; it is a strategic necessity for protecting your organization’s email domain from malicious activities. The risks of not having a DMARC policy in place are significant and multifaceted, ranging from increased vulnerability to phishing and spoofing attacks to damage to your brand’s reputation and operational inefficiencies. By adopting DMARC, you can enhance your email security posture, protect your stakeholders, and maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of your communications.

What is a DNS Record DNS Records Explained dmarc record dmarc check spf record-01-01

What is a DNS Record? DNS Records Explained

by SecurityWebsite

Just as each person has a unique name, every website on the internet is identified by a domain name, like aztuae.ae or printmps.com. These domain names are our gateway to accessing information on the World Wide Web. Behind the scenes, each domain name is tied to an IP address, which facilitates communication between networks and devices online.

The question arises: How does the internet translate a domain name, such as google.com, into its corresponding IP address?

This translation is made possible by the Domain Name System (DNS) and its DNS records. But what exactly is a DNS record? In this article, we will delve into the concept of DNS records, but let’s first get a better understanding of the DNS itself.

What is the Domain Name System (DNS)?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. The hierarchical naming database identifies devices on the internet via their IP addresses. When you access a website online, you use a domain name (like google.com). However, web browsers operate using IP addresses.

Much like a directory or phonebook, the DNS bridges the gap between a domain name and its corresponding IP address. Essentially, it contains and distributes domain name and IP address information, translating the former into the latter so web browsers can load requested web pages.

For example, when you type the URL Facebook.com into your web browser, the DNS service translates this into an IP address, such as 179.60.192.36, allowing the initiating client to load the requested webpage. The Domain Name System works similarly to a phonebook that maps a phone number to a contact’s name. When you find and call a specific contact, their phone number displays alongside the corresponding name.

People created domain names because numerical identifiers (IP addresses) are difficult to remember. The DNS is divided into domains of various levels, controlled via decentralized DNS zones. To illustrate this, let’s take www.aztuae.com as an example: ‘www’ is a third-level domain, ‘aztuae’ is a second-level domain, and ‘com’ is a top-level domain.

So, what is a DNS record and how does it fit into the Domain Name System? You need DNS records to manage domain names. They ultimately provide a set of instructions related to your domains, hosts, services, etc. DNS records are explained in more detail below, but let’s go over some DNS jargon first.

What is a DNS Record? DNS Record Types Explained

DNS records are instructions in the authoritative server that translate human-friendly domain names to IP addresses. These database records also contain various commands on how DNS servers must handle DNS requests. Different DNS records, as explained below, are needed to help connect your website to the internet. Here are the most common types of DNS records:

Common Types of DNS Records

A Record (Address Record)

  • Purpose: Maps a domain or subdomain to an IPv4 address.
  • Example: You can use this record for blog.example.com and point it to where your blog is hosted.

AAAA Record (IPv6 Address Record)

  • Purpose: Similar to the A record but maps a domain to an IPv6 address.

CNAME Record (Canonical Name Record)

  • Purpose: Links a subdomain to a domain’s A or AAAA record.
  • Example: You might use this to map www.example.com to example.com, ensuring they point to the same IP address.

MX Record (Mail Exchange Record)

  • Purpose: Directs incoming emails to a domain’s email server

TXT Record (Text Record)

  • Purpose: Stores textual information in the domain or subdomain.
  • Usage: Often used for verification purposes, such as proving domain ownership or implementing email security protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

NS Record (Name Server Record)

  • Purpose: Assigns a domain or subdomain to a set of DNS servers, which contain all of the domain’s DNS records.
  • Example: If you have a domain example.com, the NS record might point to ns1.example.com and ns2.example.com, which are the authoritative DNS servers for that domain.

SOA Record (Start of Authority Record)

  • Purpose: Contains important information about the DNS zone files, including the primary name server, the email of the domain administrator, the domain serial number, and timers related to refreshing the zone.

PTR Record (Pointer Record)

  • Purpose: The opposite of an A record. While an A record points a domain to its IP address, a PTR record maps an IP address back to a domain.
  • Usage: Commonly used for reverse DNS lookups to verify the domain associated with an IP address, often for email validation.

These DNS records collectively enable the smooth operation of the internet by ensuring that web browsers, email servers, and other internet services can find and interact with each other efficiently. Understanding these records is crucial for managing your domain’s DNS settings effectively.

Best Practices for Email Security in 2024 email seurity gateway

Best Practices for Email Security in 2024

by SecuritySoftware

Even in 2024, email security remains crucial. Your email address is a digital representation of yourself, linking you to almost every activity in the digital age. It holds a significance comparable to your most important government identifications, playing a critical role in protecting your identity. Secure email gateway (SEGs) are a category of email security tools that filter emails as they enter or leave your email server. Emails are routed through the gateway service, and so typically require your MX-records to be changed, regardless of email platform.

Your email account is a prime target for malicious actors on the internet who seek to steal your information for their own gain. Hackers exist and continually attempt to access your data, making the risk of an attack very real and ever-present. It’s likely that you will face at least one attack in the near future.

To safeguard yourself, follow these email security gateway:

Use Strong, Unique Passwords

Complexity: Ensure your passwords are at least 12 characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Uniquenes: Avoid using the same password across multiple accounts. This limits the damage if one account is compromised.

Password Manager: Use a password manager to generate and store complex passwords securely.

Tips for Creating and Remembering Strong Passwords

Use Passphrases: Create a sentence or a phrase and then alter it slightly with special characters and numbers.

    • Example: P@$$W0rd!nTheSystem@6am

Acronyms: Use the first letters of a sentence or a favorite quote, interspersed with numbers and symbols.

    • Example: For “To be or not to be, that is the question”, use TboNtB!t1tQ@

Password Managers: Utilize a password manager to generate and store complex passwords. This way, you only need to remember one master password.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Added Layer of Security: MFA requires a second form of verification (like a code sent to your phone) in addition to your password.

Enhanced Protection: This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access even if your password is compromised.

Be Wary of Phishing Attacks

Identify Suspicious Emails: Look out for emails from unknown senders, urgent requests for personal information, and generic greetings.

Verify Links and Attachments: Hover over links to see their actual destination and avoid clicking on suspicious attachments.

Education and Training: Regularly educate employees and users about the latest phishing techniques and how to avoid them.

Secure Your Devices

Regular Updates: Keep your operating system, email client, and security software up to date to protect against vulnerabilities.

Use Antivirus Software: Ensure you have reliable antivirus software that scans emails and attachments for malware.

Implement Email Encryption

End-to-End Encryption: Encrypt your emails to protect sensitive information from being intercepted and read by unauthorized parties.

Secure Communication: Use encrypted email services or add-ons to ensure that only intended recipients can access the content of your emails.

Monitor Email Activity

Regular Checks: Monitor your email account for any unusual activity, such as logins from unknown locations or devices.

Alerts: Set up alerts for suspicious activities to respond promptly to potential threats.

Use Email Security Gateway

Spam Filtering: Deploy email security gateways to filter out spam and malicious emails.

Threat Detection: These gateways can detect and block phishing attempts, malware, and other email-based threats.

How SaaS Backup Can Save You from ransomware - email security

Don’t Be a Phishing Victim: How SaaS Backup Can Save Your Data

by SecuritySoftwareWH Questions

Email Security researchers have discovered a new type of phishing campaign that specifically targets the financial services industry. These malicious attacks use a tricky Excel file that can sneak past malware-detection programs. What’s particularly concerning is that these attacks don’t stop at email attachments; they also use deceptive URLs to lure victims into clicking. Once 

Clicked, the link takes them to a compromised SharePoint or fake OneDrive site, ultimately leading to the harmful Excel file. To defend against such attacks, it’s essential for organizations to stay proactive and adapt their security measures because email-based attacks, like ransomware phishing, continue to be a prevalent threat.

Phishing attacks are on the rise, and companies need to be vigilant. Defending against these threats requires not only strengthening email security but also having a robust SaaS backup solution as part of an overall cybersecurity strategy. This multifaceted approach is vital to safeguarding against evolving cyber threats and maintaining business continuity.

In this discussion, we’ll explore the increasing problem of phishing attacks, understand how companies can protect themselves from these attacks, and see how a SaaS backup solution plays a crucial role in keeping your digital data safe.

Rising Phishing Threats: Stay Protected

In 2020, a whopping 75% of organizations worldwide faced phishing attacks, and in the United States, 74% fell victim to successful phishing attempts. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic made things worse by causing more email security problems. 

A survey revealed that employees clicked on three times as many malicious emails during the pandemic. Email threats went up by 64% in 2020, and a worrying 70% of the companies surveyed feared they’d be hurt by email attacks.

People are worried because these phishing attacks are getting smarter and happening more often. In the survey, 60% of folks said that the attacks are becoming fancier, and 52% were concerned about the sheer number of these attacks. Staying cautious and beefing up email security is crucial in today’s digital world.

Guarding against attacks

In phishing attacks, cybercriminals send emails with harmful attachments, hoping to break into a company’s computer system. If someone opens the attachment, it can unleash ransomware that can mess up not just one computer but an entire company’s network.

Surprisingly, in a recent survey, 43% of people worldwide admitted that their own employees not knowing enough about cybersecurity is a major problem. Shockingly, 13% of companies still don’t have an email security system, and 88% of Microsoft 365 users feel their companies need better email security.

To stop people from clicking on dangerous links in shady emails, companies should teach their staff about cybersecurity. The first defense is making sure everyone can spot phishing emails to avoid mistakes. In a study, 43% of folks who fell for phishing emails said they looked real, and 41% thought the email came from a boss or a famous company.

For even better protection, companies should use cybersecurity tools that stop bad emails from getting to employees. This includes a SPAM filter that spots viruses, ransomware, emails from no-name senders, and other signs of trouble.

acronis email security. al zajed technologies How SaaS Backup Can Save You from ransomware - email security

How Al Zajed Can Protect You in a Phishing Attack?

Al Zajed Technologies is like a superhero for your important business data. Block email threats, including spam, phishing, business email compromise (BEC), account takeover (ATO), malware, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and zero-days before they reach end users’ mailboxes. Leverage this next-generation, cloud-based email security solution for holistic protection.

Want to protect your company’s data from phishing attacks? Request your free demonstration now.

how to recover deleted contacts from gmail account

how to recover deleted contacts from google account?

by with 90 Comments Security

Have you ever deleted a Gmail contact only to realize it was a big mistake?😬 Well, you can relax because as long as you made the change in the last 30 days, your contact information is not lost forever. You can recover deleted contacts from google account.

Gmail has your back! It keeps a 30-day history of every contact in your address book. So, if you accidentally delete one or more contacts, all it takes are a few simple clicks to bring them back. Your contacts are safe and sound!

Certainly, here’s a revised version of your statement:

Smartphones and Google have truly transformed our lives. Your Gmail account now has the power to store an unlimited number of contacts, all readily accessible through your phone’s contact app. The best part? Everything seamlessly syncs to the cloud, meaning you can say goodbye to the anxiety of losing your contacts, no matter what may happen to your physical phone or SIM card. Your precious contacts are safe and sound in the digital world.

 

How to recover deleted contacts from google account?

1. Open Google Contacts in your browser.

How to recover deleted contacts from google-01

2. Tap or click on the Settings (gear) icon in the upper right corner.

 

3. Tap or click Undo changes.

4. Choose the timeframe you’d like to restore from, anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 days ago, then tap or click Undo.

5. Gmail will confirm by saying, “Your contacts list will be restored back to how it was on [date you chose]. It may take some time for these changes to show up on your device.

Network Security Assessment-01

Securing Your Digital Frontier: A Deep Dive into Network Security Assessments

by with 49 Comments Security

A network security assessment evaluates a computer network’s security by identifying vulnerabilities in its components and assessing their resistance to cyber threats. Professionals assess network components like firewalls, routers, switches, servers, and endpoints for their ability to resist cyberattacks and prevent unauthorized access.

Why are network security assessment important?

Network security assessments are crucial for protecting an organization’s sensitive data from cyberattacks. They help find and fix vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. These assessments also ensure compliance with industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, protecting the organization’s reputation and finances.

Regular assessments serve these vital purposes:

  1. Assess Security Effectiveness: Gauge how well your security measures and policies work.
  2. Evaluate Cyber Risk: Understand the risk and potential harm of a cyberattack on your business.
  3. Predict Attack Likelihood: Estimate the chances of successful network attacks.
  4. Enhance Security: Find areas to strengthen security controls for better protection.

 

Apart from reducing security risks, network security assessments provide these advantages:

  1. Compliance Assurance: Meeting industry-specific regulations like HIPAA or PCI DSS is crucial. Assessments ensure compliance, preventing costly penalties.
  2. Security Awareness: Regular assessments promote security awareness among employees, encouraging best practices.
  3. Effective Incident Response: In case of a breach, assessment reports aid in quick and effective responses. Knowing vulnerabilities allows for timely mitigation actions.

Types of network security assessments:

Two key types of network security assessments are vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, both vital for evaluating and enhancing an organization’s cybersecurity.

  • Vulnerability Assessment: This process identifies and prioritizes network weaknesses, misconfigurations, and security issues using automated tools. It helps in understanding potential entry points, prioritizing fixes, and reducing the window for cyberattacks.
Vulnerability Assessment steps
  • Penetration Testing: Also known as ethical hacking, it simulates real cyberattacks to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Skilled professionals manually probe systems, offering insights that automated scans might miss. This aids in fine-tuning security measures and policies.
Penetration Testing

Network Security Assessment methodology:

A network security assessment follows a six-step process:

  1. Inventory Assets: Identify and prioritize IT resources, like networks and data.
  2. Find Vulnerabilities: Scan for weaknesses in both internal and external systems, databases, and policies.
  3. Test Security: Actively assess security controls through testing, like ethical hacking.
  4. Document Results: Summarize findings in reports to guide decisions.
  5. Plan Fixes: Turn insights into action by implementing security measures and policies.
  6. Monitor Continuously: Regularly watch for new threats and ensure compliance with security standards.

In short, this methodology helps organizations protect their networks and data while adhering to regulations.

More articles about Security of the system: Read More Blogs

Advanced Persistent Threat, APT Security, APT in Cyber Security

Defending Your Network Against Persistent Cyber Attacks: Let’s Face It

by with 3 Comments Security

As Hackers faced more complex and complicated challenges, their strategies and efforts also changing depending on the threats and the security of the system.

One of these strategies includes Advanced Persistent Threat, which is nearly impossible to detect and difficult to prevent. How can companies of all sizes keep their networks and customer data safe from advanced persistent threats (APTs)?

What is Advance Persistent Threat?

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) are highly sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks. These are typically carried out by well-funded and organized groups, often state-sponsored, with the goal of infiltrating a specific target, such as a government agency, corporation, or organization.

APT in cyber security are known for their persistence and stealth, as they aim to remain undetected for an extended period while stealing sensitive information, disrupting operations, or conducting espionage. These attacks involve multiple stages, including initial infiltration, lateral movement within the network, and data exfiltration, making them difficult to detect and mitigate.

Rather than using broad and complex approach, APT are designed with specific target in mind. Due to this, they are developed according to the design and security of the targeted system. They first investigate and measure the security of the targeted system. They often attack by targeting the weak points or phishing links.

The main goal of Advanced persistence threat is to get access to the system rather than logging in to the system fast and furiously. This allows them to steal any type of data they want and hack the system.

 

One of the primary ways to advanced persistent threat to get access to the system is through network credentials. Hackers use company’s employee accounts through phishing links and get access to the system. This Helps them to remain anonymous and undetected and steal any data they want without being predicted. 

Phases of advanced persistent threats:

Advanced Persistent Threat, APT Security, APT in Cyber Security

Following are the main phases of advance persistent threat:

Investigation and reconnaissance: Due to the targeted nature of these attacks, the process starts by using their resources that may be internal or external to learn about system security and the weak points that should be targeted.

Initial entry: Once the weak points originated as we discussed in the previous phase, hackers exploit them and make their initial attempt on the system.

Foothold and movement: Once they get access to the system through weak points, their main goal is to remain undetected and get strong place and hold.

 

Continual attack: At this point data is collected and passed back and forth from the attacker’s network. The threat will remain on the network until it is detected, which could be months or even years. The persistence of the threat is clearly seen.

How does EDR fight ATP?

Endpoint Detection and response analyze whole network and check the endpoint activity on whole network, track each activity, data flow and track behaviors for efficient workflow.

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) is like a cyber watchdog. It uses smart technology to watch what people do on your computer network in real-time. If it sees something weird, like too many late-night logins or big data transfers, it generates an alert so you can catch and stop the bad stuff before it stays hidden for a long time.

It is constantly monitoring your network activity so you can rest assured that anything unusual will be brought to light. It gives you the opportunity to fight back before additional damage is done.

 

EDR platform supports your security team by consolidating the data into reports. That reports can be analyzed by security experts—it streamlines how the alerts and attack data are managed. EDR computer security also works with your antivirus and other security tools to fight against even the most advanced attacks.

Time to challenge ATP:

Now, its time to protect your system from advance persistent threat by using endpoint detection and response tools. Acronis and Dsafe are the best EDR platform that offer best and secure platform that focuse mainly on endpoint security.

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