Spam Email has been a problem for businesses for years but the first quarter of 2016 saw a dramatic increase in the number of unsolicited emails containing malicious attachments.

In March, the number of email anti-virus detections on computers with a Kaspersky Lab product installed reached four times more than the average for the same period last year.

A possible reason for this is that while information systems are using increasingly complex security measures, these updates continue to leave one significant vulnerability unaddressed: employees themselves. Email, in particular, represents one of the largest threats that employees can unintentionally pose to their network’s integrity. It seems attackers have recognised this and switched attack vector to exploit this weak spot.

Combine On Premise and Cloud Defences

Lots of smaller organisations rely heavily on the anti-spam component of their anti-virus solution to filter out unwanted or harmful messages. Anti-virus solutions are an effective component of a multi-layered spam defence but a comprehensive anti-spam solution should incorporate a combination of defences located on premise and in the cloud.

Using a secure email gateway stops malicious emails from entering your network in the first place, stopping spam mail from reaching your employees inbox – so they can’t accidentally open something they shouldn’t.

Mimecast Secure Email Gateway

We recommend the Mimecast Secure Email Gateway. It uses sophisticated, multi-layered detection engines and intelligence to protect email data and employees from malware, spam, advanced threats and zero-day attacks.