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Showing items tagged with "email security" - 16 found.

Business Email Management: Articles of Note November 2018

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

Einstein

After writing for over a decade about business email management to reduce business email overload it is sometimes hard to find material which adds anything new to what we know about how best to manage email to save time, improve well-being and performance.  Often it’s the same tips and hints and studies just packaged differently. Over the last few weeks three have stood out.

1. Self promoting emails

Have you ever thought of using your Out-Of-Office message to promote yourself in your absence?  For example, after telling the sender you are out of the office, then add a line about a recent success story, article about you, research paper etc.  This is the latest trend being pushed by Harvard Business School to help you stand out in the ever crowded digital communications world.  They suggest that research show that creating a positive view of yourself may help develop better more long standing network relationships. The jury is out on this one.  Is it worthwhile or do such self-promoting emails actually have the reverse effect?

Do tell us what you think. Copy of Taking Control of Your Inbox for the best comments (for or against).

2.The state of email security?

In the last twelve month most organisations have seen a significant increase in email born cyber attacks and especially phishing attacks. This useful e-book (from Mimecast) highlights the status of email initiated cyber crime and provides advice on how to limit such attacks. Key is a robust training programme.  This is something we, Mesmo Consultancy, would be pleased to talk to you about.

Meanwhile for some quick here and now tips to reduce the risk of cyber crime click here.

3.IORG Information Overload Day Webinar 2018

This year’s theme was cognitive science, addiction and information overload. One of the most interesting sessions was by Anne McGhee Stinson on ‘Neuroscience and Information Overload’. Specifically she talked about how our brain changes according to what we do and pay attention to. Her session is about 12 minutes in.  Towards the end there is also a panel session which includes Dr Seeley on dealing with email addiction.  Again if this is an issue for you or your colleagues why not call us to discuss how we have been helping other organisations.  Click here for a quick check on your own personal level of email addiciton.

Tags: Business email management, Business email overload, Email Addiciton, Email born cyber crime, email cyber crime, email security, IORG

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Email security – top tips to reduce the risk of cyber crime

Email security remains a top priority for most IT Departments and especially as GDPR approaches. Here are five top ways to improving email security in your organisation and make sure you are not the one to open the door to the cyber-criminal.

1. Check and re-check the email. With auto-fill it is all too easy to send your email to the wrong Jack Thief. At one organisation the Corporate Lawyer was frequently asked about the Pantone colour to use for an advert. Whilst the Marketing Director was sent delicate often highly confidential information about pending legal transaction. Why? They both had almost identical names and hence email addresses. Checking the address before hitting improves email security.
2. When forwarding an email check the content of the whole email. It is unbelievable the number of clients who tell me they have been forwarded an email only to find something about themselves buried in it – often about 10 conversation down! It is not unknown for this to result in legal action. Always scroll to the very end of the email you are about to forward to check there is nothing the new recipient might either be offended by or see confidential information to which they should not be privy eg sales data when the recipient is another supplier. This improves email security.
3. Avoiding sending raw Office documents. When possible always send Office files as PDFs. Although not fool proof it does help limit the scope for making changes then denying the change. Also it helps improve the integrity of the file and reduce the risk of exposing edits and comments which have not been completely removed and may also contain confidential information. Email security and integrity is increased.
4. Password protect/encrypt highly confidential files. The choice is usually dictated by IT. The key for us as individuals is to make optimum use of the available security technology when sending highly confidential files and not be lazy. Always a good way to improve email security.
5. Be ruthless about what attachments you open. We have said it many times before but recent surveys show that cyber-attacks through malware hidden in Word files are up by 33%.

Concerned about any of these points?  Call us now to discuss how Mesmo Consultancy’s Smart Email Management masterclasses and workshops can help improve email security.

Tags: cyber crime, email security, GDPR, password protection, Word documents and malware

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Articles and Blogs of Note – February 2015

January into February are often lean months for good news stories outside of real major world events.  From a technology standpoint, three threads really stood out, security, email etiquette and the effect of mobile devices on our wellbeing.  In the light of the Sony hacking offensive the emphasis on cyber crine and email etiquette is not surprising. Here are our top five articles and blogs of note.

Articles of note

1. Sony hacking saga – the true reputational damage as Amy Pascal steps down.   A summary of events and the cost to personal professional lives when a hacker finds email which should never have been sent in the first place.
2. Being a good diplomat takes more than Ferrero Rocher.  Appalled at the lack of language and social skills, the Foreign Office set up a new Academy to enable its Diplomats to regain their standing overseas.  They will be taught not only languages such as Mandarin but also how to use social media.  Will the courses extend to email etiquette and when its more effective to use pen and paper rather than email?  There is also a very good article in The Times with some tips and hints which might give anyone a competitive advantage during sales negotiation (but you need a subscription to read it).
3. FTSE 350 cyber governance health check tracker report.  Although aimed at larger organisations, it makes excellent reading for every business owner and IT Director.
4. Symantec cyber crime survival guide.  A short video on how to reduce the risk of a cyber attack and manage the after effects.  You can download a handy aid memoir.  Interestingly user education is a key point.
5. Switching on outside office risks relationships. A new study from Surrey University has found that the long hours culture predicated by mobile devices and email overload is increasing levels of stress.

If email security, email etiquette or the impact of email overload on well being are on your agenda for 2015, why not contact Mesmo Consultancy now for a free consultation? Either call us on +44 (0)1202 434340 or email us.

Tags: Articles of note, cyber crime, email etiquette, email overload, email security, Sony hacking, well being

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Close the email backdoor to cyber crime

Who is the weakest link in the fight against cyber crime? It is us the user. Click here to listen to how we leak data ever day through careless use of email. Without thinking we have either opened or sent an email which opens the door to cyber crime be it hacking, stealing our identity (phishing) and giving away confidential data.

There are many ways we can manage our email behaviour to reduce the risk to ourselves and our organisation of a breach of confidentiality and improve email related security. Here are our top five tips.

Email cyber crime

1. Be alert to unusual emails even from well know colleagues, eg – updates, especially for you, my CV, money for XYZ crisis. Sadly, emails scams often pick up on recent natural disasters such as the Ebola crisis.
2. Make sure when you go to a website that it really is genuine, ie BBC.co.uk really is BBC.co.uk. Before clicking on the link, hover over it and check what the url is showing in the bottom left-hand corner of your browser. If it looks suspicious stop and access the website directly from the browser address bar.
3. Use Bcc when sending an email to many people – it limits the risk of spammers getting a list of email addresses.
4. Set strong passwords for your email and other accounts. Click here for tips.
5. When setting up a new social media account, selectively add only those contacts that you really need. Don’t use the default option of uploading you entire address book.

Education is the key to reducing the risk of an email predicated cyber attack. For a free five minute review of your email security behaviour and how you can improve it either call Mesmo Consultancy on 01202 434340 or email us now to book an appointment.

Tags: bcc, cyber crime, email cyber crime, email security, Mesmo Consultancy

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Smart email security

Top tips to reduce leaking confidential information through email and improve email security.  Article published in Executive Secretary Magazine October 2013.

Tags: email best practice, Email management for PAs, email management training, email security, Managing the boss's inbox

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