E-mail Security 101

            There is a vast array of methods that malicious actors can take to infiltrate your e-mail. This segment will only look at the most common methods.

            Phishing is perhaps the most common method used to gain access to someone’s e-mail/devices. It usually involves a ‘bad actor’ sending an e-mail, text or call trying to sway the victim into taking an action that leads to the sharing of valuable data or the opportunity for the ‘bad actor’ to make use of a vulnerability in the systems used by the victim.

            Brute force is an attempt by the ‘malicious actor’, through trial-and-error to gain access to your e-mail/devices. It usually involves the use of a software that attempts a variety of different passwords to gain access to the system. This method is less common nowadays due to security measures that e-mail providers have taken to limit the attempts. Although it is important to note that it still happens, especially due to individuals creating passwords that are too simple or due to actors willing to ‘take their time’ and/or finding exploits within the e-mail provider’s systems.

            Network Exploits are usually derived from individuals connecting to unsafe networks. The network can be unsafe due to systems used to monitor the data, whether implemented by the owner of the network or ‘bad actors’ that have managed to infiltrate the network.

            Physical Threats involves someone gaining direct access to your device (e.g. cellphone, laptop) which allows them to then get into your e-mails. This threat is usually tied to the theft of the device or mismanagement of the device by its owner. An example would be for a person to leave their laptop unlocked while they go out to get coffee, meanwhile a bystander uses this chance to steal the electronic.