Is Email Archiving The Same As Email Backup?

One of the most important methods of communication today is email. Although we constantly deal with several emails on a daily basis, the email content is generally not kept anywhere else. It just stays in your mailbox. Apart from that, organizations across the globe are dealing with a rising number of compliance requirements. Because of that, executives of small and medium sized firms are asking themselves how they could address these concerns through email archiving and what should be archived. So, what is email archiving? What are the benefits it has to offer?

What are the problems with email management?

Back in 2017, a whopping 269 billion emails have been sent and received on a daily basis across the globe. That figure is expected to increase especially since email is now the preferred method of communication instead of the traditional mail or fax. The smooth and efficient process used for email data exchange is now indispensable for many organization. Countless information are sent through email across the world daily including contracts, invoices, as well as other business related information. All email users are responsible for the data that the email contains and the processing of the information.

Email archiving can help in processing and filing emails in a more systematic way. Email archiving mainly serves the purposes of preventing data loss as well as for documentation. Emails could be kept for a long time when email archiving is used. Since emails are stored securely, the company’s email security is improved. The contents are kept unchanged and can be retrieved right away even if it’s been stored for a long time. Any effective cybersecurity strategy should include email archiving.

The Evolution of Email Archiving

In the past, the volume of emails sent and received were low. But the number grew significantly over the years. Before, email archiving focused more on trusting the users. Organizations relied on their staff to manage their own email archives in their chosen email clients.

As time when by, IT departments began to realize the importance of backups and slowly backed up their emails. However, looking for emails were not that common, not for the end users at the very least. Back then, it took weeks to find and restore a particular email. The IT staff had to restore whole backup to locate a single email, which was a tiring process. Fortunately, this is no longer the case these days. End users now can easily search for and restore a particular email.

What are the different types of email archiving?

Are you thinking of archiving your email? If yes, then you should first learn about the most suitable method. Given that, your company’s IT team must concentrate on the in-house email infrastructure, which involves choosing between client side or server-side archiving.

What is server-side email archiving?

It is an automated and centralized archiving that functions even without the intervention of an end-user. Server-side email archiving is a popular option and among the widely known ones are Gmail, IMAP, Office 365, and Exchange.

What is client-side email archiving?

The end user needs to set up the client-side email archiving Wilmington NC. The user is responsible for archiving emails. It is commonly used in connection that involves a POP3 mailbox. It is the most suitable strategy for an organization that wants total control over all important email communication, lessen the work for the IT team, and follow industry regulations and standards.

Email archiving into the cloud or on-premises

Once you’ve settled on the best type of email archiving, the next thing to do is choose between a cloud solution or an on-premises email archiving. For the latter, you have to buy a software that will run independently when put to use. This is a great option if the organization has its own IT team with on-premises mail services or if the organization is using a cloud email service.

The provider will be responsible for the operation and maintenance if cloud services is used. All the information is stored in the system of the provider. In case you opt for cloud only email archiving, you need to choose the maximum level of email security and availability. Additionally, you need to keep the email archive available physically on your servers.

Because of the large volume of emails sent and received on a daily basis, it’s almost impossible to categorize which of the emails need to be or not to be archived. Because of that, all received and sent emails are commonly archived right away. This is also helpful in terms of protecting you against possible tampering and to make sure that the integrity of the archive is maintained. But data protection regulations must be considered.

Benefits of Email Archiving

1. Regulatory compliance – emails can be stored in a tamper proof, accessible, and authentic manner for several years thanks to email archiving. It helps you remain compliant especially if you are running a business in a heavily regulated sector like government, legal, financial, or healthcare.
2. Data loss protection – data that’s critical to the organization is lost once users delete crucial emails accidentally, intentionally, or even when employees resign from the company and their mailbox is wiped out. Email archiving keeps all emails, including its content and attachments, unchanged, available, and readily accessible in the archive.
3. Elimination of mailbox quotas – gets rid of the problem involving mailbox quotas and the unpleasant problems that come with them.
4. Independence – if a mail server has a problem or if data has been lost, users can still get access to their emails through the email archive. Firms stay independent from their email service provider or the mail server in this way, which will make it easier to carry out their business activities without any interruption.
5. Increased productivity and efficiency – the volume of information on the mail server will always remain low thanks to email archiving, which also means faster backup and recovery times. This leads to better performance as well as leaner backups. With the right email archiving solution, users can quickly search through all the email content and attachments that have been archived, which improves their productivity.
6. Longterm solution for pst files – full mailboxes and corrupted pst files are among the most dreaded problems at work. When this happens, an IT employee can just assist in restoring the files when the pst files were backed up. Consequently, such file formats add strain on your IT team due to their susceptibility to mistakes. With the assistance of email archiving, pst files could be archived centrally within the organization without having to go through the trouble of altering access permissions.

Email Archiving Vs. Email Backup

The terms email archiving and email backup are often used synonymously. Because of that, it’s assumed in many instances that backing up alone is enough. But, backing up your email server won’t replace a suitable email archive in any way. A backup could only backup information over a short period of time and then restore it if required. But compliance requirements are not taken into account, or the constant restorability or availability of crucial emails are not ensured. With backups, emails could be deleted right away once received and therefore, disregard security. Also, a backup won’t be able to help you with compliance requirements and can’t help prevent data loss. It’s crucial to backup emails but it can never replace the functions offered by email archiving. Plus, email archiving is an integral part of an efficient backup plan.

Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from all advantage of modern and secure email archiving with SpartanTec Inc. Call today and discover how much time we can save your employees.

People also ask

Do I need email encryption?

https://www.spartantec.com/2020/08/11/meet-growing-need-email-encryption/

Why should I archive my emails?

https://www.spartantec.com/2020/08/24/why-email-archiving-is-important/

What is the main reason to archive emails?

https://www.spartantec.com/2020/08/25/reasons-archive-business-emails/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

What Is A Phishing Attack?

Phishing is a kind of social engineering attack that is commonly used to steal user information including credit card numbers and login credentials. It takes place when an attacker, pretending to be a trusted entity, fools someone into opening a text message, instant message, or an email. The recipient is then duped into clicking a malicious link that can result into the installation of malware, revealing sensitive information, or freezing the device as of the ransomware attack.

An attack could have devastating consequences like identity theft, stealing of funds, or unauthorized purchases.

Aside from that, phishing Wilmington NC is commonly used to obtain a foothold in governmental or corporate networks as a part of wide scale attack like an APT or advanced persistent threat. In the last situation, employees are then compromised to bypass the security protocols that have been set up, spread the malware within a closed environment, or obtain access to sensitive data.

A company that succumbs to this type of cyberattack generally suffers severe financial losses apart from declining reputation, consumer trust, and market share. Depending on the attack’s scope, a phishing incident may turn into a security incident from which a company will have a hard time recovering.

Examples of Phishing Attacks

• Spoofed email from myuniversity.edu that’s distributed widely to countless faculty members
• Emails claiming that the user’s password is set to expire

Phishing Techniques

1. Email Phishing Scams – is considered to be a numbers game wherein the attacker sends thousands of fake messages. Doing so allows them to get significant information and cash, even if only a few people fall victim to the phishing scam. Attackers will try to replicate actual emails from a spoofed company. They will use the same typefaces, phrasing, logos, and signatures to make messages look legitimate.
2. Spear Phishing – this technique targets a specific technique or person, unlike random application users. It is a more comprehensive version of phishing that needs special knowledge regarding an organization like its power structure.

How To Prevent Phishing

Both users and enterprises need to take steps in order to protect themselves from phishing attacks. Users need to be vigilant. A spoofed message commonly contains subtle mistakes that will expose its real identity. These may include changes to the domain names and spelling mistakes. Users must also stop and think twice about why they are getting such an email. For companies, there are some steps they can take to mitigate the risks of facing phishing and spear phishing attacks.

1. 2FA or Two factor authentication – it is considered to be the most effective method when it comes to mitigating phishing attacks. It also adds another layer of verification when logging into confidential applications. 2FA depends on users to have two crucial things. The password and username as well as their smartphones. Even if employees are compromised, 2FA stops the use of the credentials that have been compromised, because these are not enough to get access.
2. Apart from using 2FA, companies must set in place strict password management policies.
3. Educational campaigns could also help reduce the threat of phishing attacks by make sure that secure practices.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team assist you in securing your emails. Our IT experts will set up the most effective email security measures to mitigate risks of phishing attacks.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

8 Best Practices For Remote Workers

Companies of all sizes are under attack these days. Meanwhile, modern organizations are now paying attention to remote work as they start to hire new talent and develop business continuity plans. One perfect example of business continuity happened during the spring of 2020 when firms all over the globe sent countless information workers to work from home in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Remote work poses a unique challenge for information security since remote work environments do not usually have the same computer security as in the office. If an employee is at the office, they are doing their work behind the preventive security controls of the company. Although not perfect, it is more difficult to make security mistake when working at the office. But, when computers leave the area and employees work at home, new risks come up for the firm and more security policies are important.

Here are a few of the policy guidelines we recommend when you or your staff are working outside the office.

Digital Security For Remote Work

1. If possible, don’t Use Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi poses significant security risk and must be avoided when possible. When you require access to the internet using a public Wi-Fi location, you need to solve two important problems. The first one is that other individuals can also access the network. Since there is no firewall between you and them, cybercriminals could easily get into your system. The next issue is that interested individuals on any other public networks or the current network you’re in can easily monitor the traffic while it goes by. It’s essential to look for a way to protect your computer and encrypt your traffic. Using a personal hotspot using a device or your phone is one perfect option. You’ll avoid getting hacked by those who are using the same public Wi-FI.

2. Keep Your Work Data On Your Work Computer

Are you thinking of answering a few emails at home before going to bed? You can do remote work Wilmington NC provided that you have a secure Wi-Fi connection, encrypted drives, an anti-virus program, and an endpoint protection. If your work computer is out of reach, you might be tempted to use your personal computer. Doing so will put you and your company at risk. If you are working with a reliable IT team, they might be installing updates regularly, blocking malicious websites, running antivirus scans, and more. It’s probable that you have not adhered to the same protocols on your personal computer as that of a work computer. You can make using your personal computer much less risky if your employer provides you with access to a remote access environment like Office 365. You could safely work online and avoid syncing or downloading files or emails to your personal device.

3. Block The Sight Lines

If you are at café or a coffee shop, pay close attention to the sight lines. If somebody is behind you, they could easily see what you are typing. Also, somebody with the appropriate observational skills could just watch you’re doing and find sensitive details. Always keep your personal devices with you.

4. Encrypt Emails and Other Sensitive Data On Your Device

Sending emails that contains sensitive information will always be a risk. It can be seen or intercepted by a third party. If you encrypt the data that’s attached to your email, unintended recipients won’t be able to view the information. Just make sure that your device will encrypt all stored data in case of theft.

Physical Security For Remote Work

1. Lock your doors – if you are bringing your work computer at home, you have to protect confidential information. Always lock your doors and improve the security of your home office.
2. Don’t Leave Your Work Laptop or Device In The Car – never leave your work device or laptop in your car. Don’t leave them in your trunk. Bring your devices with you to avoid any cybersecurity risks.
3. Never Use Random Thumb Devices – dropping a few large capacity thumb drives close to the company is a classic hacking technique that hackers use.
4. Use USB Data Blockers– this tip is extremely important especially if you are charging your device at a public charging station.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you need help in securing your computer and network at home.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Covid-19 Researchers Come Under Attack By Hackers

A number of prominent hacking groups made a gentleman's agreement with research labs that are attempting to develop a vaccine for the deadly COVID-19 virus currently ravaging the planet.

The agreement was promising that no attacks against research facilities would be made. Unfortunately, not everyone is playing by those rules.

Recently, intelligence agencies in the US and Europe as well as cybersecurity researchers around the world have spotted evidence. They found that Russian hackers believed to have ties to the Russian government, have begun attacking R&D centers that are actively working on a cure for the virus.

The attacks have been attributed to APT29, which is also referred to variously as The Dukes, Yttrium, or Cozy Bear. This group's normal targets are government installations, think tanks, energy companies, diplomatic corporations around the world, and healthcare organizations.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), out of the UK, recently published a security advisory that reads, in part, as follows:

"Throughout 2020, APT29 has targeted various organisations involved in COVID-19 vaccine development in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, highly likely with the intention of stealing information and intellectual property relating to the development and testing of COVID-19 vaccines."

The advisory goes on to detail that APT29 is initiating these attacks with spear phishing.

APT29 is also exploiting several known security vulnerabilities, including those found in:

• Citrix (CVE-2019-19781)
• Pulse Secure (CVE-2019-11510)
• Fortigate (CVE-2019-13379)
• Zimbra Collaboration Suite (CVE-2019-9670)

The frustrating thing about this is that patches for all of the cybersecurity Wilmington NC flaws listed above already exist. It's just that too often, the IT professionals working in R&D organizations have been slow to apply them, leaving research stations around the world vulnerable at a time when they're conducting critical research that could stop the global pandemic in its tracks.

Once APT29 gains a foothold on a targeted network, they install a pair of custom malware applications called 'WellMess' and 'WellMail,' both written in Golang. If your firm is in any way connected to ongoing COVID-19 research efforts, stay on the alert for this one. It's a serious threat indeed, and the attack is coming from one of the most dangerous groups of hackers on the planet.

Keep your business safe from hackers and other potential online threat. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts set up the most effective cybersecurity measures for your company.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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