Introduction
Welcome back to this months Focus Tech Insider.
We’re excited to share that we’re sponsoring Cherrybrook FC for another season!
Check out their brand-new kits, they’ll certainly be bringing both style and performance to the pitch.
Here’s to Cherrybrook FC having a fantastic season in their fresh gear – best of luck!
![1[1]](https://focustechscouk96e1b.zapwp.com/q:l/r:0/wp:1/w:1/u:https://focustechs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/11.jpg)
Could Your Email Signature Be a Security Risk?
Email signatures are a harmless formality and branding tool, right?
Wrong.
They are a serious security threat. Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting email signatures as a way to scam businesses. Here’s a scenario: You receive an urgent email that looks exactly like it’s from a trusted client – complete with their familiar signature. But one click later, you realise it’s a scam.
Here’s why email signatures are a risk:
- Cyber Criminals Use Familiarity: They exploit the trust built around signatures by creating emails that look just like they’re from someone you know
- Phishing & Spoofing: They use replicated signatures to trick you into clicking malicious links or sharing sensitive info
- Malware & Ransomware: Spoofed signatures can contain links or attachments that install harmful software, putting security and data at risk
While you’ve (hopefully) invested in securing your networks and training your team, the security of your email signature might be the last thing on your mind. But ignoring this small detail can expose you to significant risks.
Understanding the Basics of Email Signatures
What is an email signature? It’s that familiar block of text at the end of each email, showing who you are and how to reach you. But there’s more to it: signatures often include job titles, company logos, social media links, and sometimes disclaimers.
Your signature acts like a digital business card – consistent across emails, which builds trust but also makes it easy to mimick.
Hackers can use details from your signature, like your name, job title, and logo to create phishing emails that look just like yours, mimicking the exact format and style of your regular communications. All it takes is a few familiar details for a scam to seem real, even to the most vigilant among us.
Update of the month
Meet Ryan our newest member of the team!
Ryan is fully briefed on your setups, so he can assist you seamlessly—just like the rest of our team.
Common Misconceptions About Signature Security
- “Email signatures are just for branding.” While they help with branding, they also contain information that can be exploited if not secured
- “Only big companies need to worry about this.” Actually, small and medium-sized businesses are often more vulnerable due to limited security measures
- “Using a simple signature reduces risk.” Simplicity doesn’t eliminate risk. Even basic signatures can be spoofed in phishing attacks
How to Protect Your Email Signature
- Standardise Across Teams: When everyone’s signature looks the same, it’s easier to spot fakes
- Verify Links: Double-check that all links in signatures go to secure sites
- Less is More: Stick to essential information like name, title, and contact info
Don’t overlook regular updates, audits, and monitoring. Schedule routine checks to ensure all email signatures in your business align with your security guidelines.
Watch for inconsistencies or outdated information that could be exploited. Monitoring tools can track email traffic and flag unusual activity, giving you immediate alerts to respond swiftly and effectively to potential threats.
Finally, educate your team on email signature security. Everyone should understand the risks and know how to recognize suspicious emails, even if they look familiar.
These small steps can save you from big headaches.
Microsoft 365 Copilot’s New Features
Microsoft has rolled out new, AI-powered features in 365 Copilot to make work smoother and more productive. Here’s what’s new:
- Instant Visuals: Generate images directly in Word and PowerPoint – no extra apps needed
- Effortless Tone Adjustments: Quickly refine your content’s tone in Word and SharePoint
Microsoft Designer Now Available Across Platforms
Microsoft Designer is now available across platforms, giving you up to 15 free daily design boosts or an option to upgrade to 100 boosts per day with a Copilot Pro subscription. New features include:
- Prompt Templates: Start with AI-generated templates to create professional designs
- Custom Stickers & Emojis: Personalise your designs with new sticker and emoji options
- Background Replacement: Easily switch out backgrounds for a cleaner, polished look
Your Quick Security Q&A
How often should we back up our data?
Ideally, continuous backups are best to ensure your data is fully protected and easily restored when needed.
What’s the best way to track IT assets like hardware and software licenses?
Use an IT asset management (ITAM) system to keep everything organised. We can help with setup.
What can we do to secure our cloud services?
Use strong access controls, encrypt your data, and keep everything updated. Regular monitoring can also help spot unusual activity.
Can your business continue in the event of a disaster?
Disasters can strike anytime, affecting business-critical systems and cloud-based services, leading to data loss. It happens to businesses like yours. Our backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity services protect you from more than just natural disasters like fire or flood.
Power outages, hardware failures, software glitches, viruses, and human error are common causes of downtime that can halt your business, increase costs, and damage your reputation. Planning ahead is crucial.
Prevent disruption with our backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity systems that keep your team working. Focus can help minimise downtime, protect your data, and quickly restore operations after any unforeseen event.
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Plan
Ensure your business keeps running smoothly when disaster strikes with a solid plan in place. -
Safe storage
Keep your data safe with regular backups of all your systems. -
Recovery
Industry-standard disaster recovery solutions for swift and seamless data recovery. -
Testing
Develop and test a strategy to ensure you and your team are fully prepared and know exactly what to do.
