--- title: Email Security Settings to Protect Your Business From Maliciousness in 2021 description: With phishing scams continuously evolving and becoming more and more clever, email remains the bad guys’ favorite tool to use when going after unsuspecting and unaware cyber victims. It’s an easy tool to protect with the right know-how, but even the slightest of slip-ups can turn an invaluable business tool into a costly vulnerability. Here […] --- [Skip to main content](https://bluelayer.com/blog/email-security-settings-to-protect-your-business-in-2021#main) [![Blue Layer](https://bluelayer.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/website-theme/images/blue-layer/bluelayer-logo_white.png) ![Blue Layer](https://bluelayer.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/website-theme/images/blue-layer/bluelayer-logo_color.png)](https://bluelayer.com/) - [Home](https://bluelayer.com/) - [Managed Services](https://bluelayer.com/managed-services/) - [Advisory Services](https://bluelayer.com/advisory-services/) - [Servers & Cloud Services](https://bluelayer.com/servers-cloud-hosting/) - [Communications](https://bluelayer.com/communications/) - [Networking & SD WAN](https://bluelayer.com/networking/) - [Cybersecurity](https://bluelayer.com/cybersecurity/) - [Disaster Recovery](https://bluelayer.com/disaster-recovery/) - [Physical Security](https://bluelayer.com/physical-security/) - [Enterprise AI Advisement](https://bluelayer.com/enterprise-ai) - [Cybersecurity](https://bluelayer.com/cybersecurity/) - [About Us](https://bluelayer.com/about-us/) - [Blog](https://bluelayer.com/blog/) - [Support](https://bluelayer.com/support/) - [Contact Us](https://bluelayer.com/contact/) [Client Portal](https://portal.bluelayer.com/) ![Blue Layer](https://bluelayer.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/website-theme/images/blue-layer/bluelayer-logo_color.png) - [Home](https://bluelayer.com/) - [Managed Services](https://bluelayer.com/managed-services/) - [Advisory Services](https://bluelayer.com/advisory-services/) - [Servers & Cloud Services](https://bluelayer.com/servers-cloud-hosting/) - [Communications](https://bluelayer.com/communications/) - [Networking & SD WAN](https://bluelayer.com/networking/) - [Cybersecurity](https://bluelayer.com/cybersecurity/) - [Disaster Recovery](https://bluelayer.com/disaster-recovery/) - [Physical Security](https://bluelayer.com/physical-security/) - [Enterprise AI Advisement](https://bluelayer.com/enterprise-ai) - [Cybersecurity](https://bluelayer.com/cybersecurity/) - [About Us](https://bluelayer.com/about-us/) - [Blog](https://bluelayer.com/blog/) - [Support](https://bluelayer.com/support/) - [Contact Us](https://bluelayer.com/contact/) [Client Portal](https://portal.bluelayer.com/) # Email Security Settings to Protect Your Business From Maliciousness in 2021 [Security Alerts](https://bluelayer.com/blog/tag/security-alerts) [Cybersecurity](https://bluelayer.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity) BL Blue Layer Team December 16, 2020 3 min read Copy link [LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbluelayer.com%2Fblog%2Femail-security-settings-to-protect-your-business-in-2021) [Email](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EEmail+Security+Settings+to+Protect+Your+Business+From+Maliciousness+in+2021%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbluelayer.com%2Fblog%2Femail-security-settings-to-protect-your-business-in-2021) [**With phishing scams continuously evolving and becoming more and more clever**](https://www.knowbe4.com/phishing), email remains the bad guys’ favorite tool to use when going after unsuspecting and unaware cyber victims. It’s an easy tool to protect with the right know-how, but even the slightest of slip-ups can turn an invaluable business tool into a costly vulnerability. Here are some of the easiest ways to set your employees’ email security settings up for success in the upcoming new year and beyond. ![](https://bluelayer.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/86N24movVH5IbElDxOpJZDGgRJWWgwv5EqReh5Rpd-ONKTQdxSg0ebRehOZi96_fLwYfSUCdGtZ-agsz76BsTCGAsv0c9jD2FCHyH7cWCe6PNzQrHX6H8R6jF2dfdilAAvJGqBIb.png) **Strong Passwords** First things first: strong, unique passwords are a must. The idea of a password may seem trivial, but in fact,[**prioritizing ease over function when it comes to them can be costly**](http://blog.lastpass.com/2019/05/passwords-still-problem-according-2019-verizon-data-breach-investigations-report/). Include a combination of numbers, symbols, capital letters and lowercase letters, and avoid including anything that is very closely related to you, including names of family members, friends, pets, etc. Once you have strong passwords, [**LastPass is the best option for protecting them.**](https://bluelayerit.com/blog/why-lastpass-is-the-best-option-for-password-management/)  **Two-Factor Authentication** Think of [**two-factor authentication**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nemkquZG5xg&feature=emb_title) as an added layer of protection that’s even more personal and more difficult to work around. The first factor is the strong password that only you keep. The second is a unique one-time code that can be sent to your mobile phone or email or one that is generated only on your phone. **Email Whitelists and Blacklists** Whitelists and blacklists give you the power to decide who’s in and who’s out when it comes to those allowed access to your inbox through email. These lists can be set based on domain, email address, or an IP address or IP range. **Data Backups** Losing email data to cybercriminals costs time and money, neither of which your business can afford to lose. Always opt for third-party backup, [**even when it comes to cloud collaboration platforms like Office 365.**](https://bluelayerit.com/blog/why-you-should-back-up-your-office-365-data/) **Virus, Ransomware, and Phishing Scanning** An Intrusion Prevention and Intrusion Detection System (IPS/IDS) is a network security tool that detects threats and prevents them from penetrating your email network. An IPS/IDS continually monitors your network traffic and incorporates rulesets that are refreshed daily to ensure protection from the latest, ever-evolving vulnerabilities, including exploits, viruses, rootkits, and more. IPS/IDS updates are issued to customers via the cloud, eliminating the need for manual staging or patching. ![](https://bluelayer.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/L2Dg_4YsJVlCDrCKdM7pYyCOoqn2MxePSphjGnX6lgcssj8-sjFx93wnz10sJX4_b36U7rcz29mmYcnluovmvakF8dx_miNBIMF78hVndnqb8M5qwgYImto4q1xjDmSuE3lz7B7H.png) **Email Security Settings, Cybersecurity, and Cybersecurity Awareness Training with Trained Professionals** Blue Layer provides a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services for our clients that are designed to assess the state of their security, identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities within their systems, and implement the best possible solutions to curb those potential threats to their network. [**One element of these services includes cybersecurity awareness training**](https://bluelayerit.com/blog/service-spotlight-cybersecurity-awareness-training/), which effectively works to turn employees into impenetrable human firewalls. So if you are unsure about the current state of your business’s email security settings or your team’s ability to mitigate potential threats, contact Blue Layer today. We can help your organization cultivate the type of cybersecurity-first culture that you will experience the benefit of in 2021. [**Click here, and let’s get started together.**](https://bluelayerit.com/contact-us/) Questions about how this applies to your business? Talk it through with a Blue Layer specialist. The first conversation is on us. 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