Email filtering in place
What has been found
Email filtering in place.
Email is a primary attack vector for phishing, malware, and other malicious activity. The presence of robust filtering demonstrates proactive defence, reducing the likelihood of threats reaching end users and decreasing the risk of compromise.
Why this strengthens security
Email filtering protects the organisation by blocking malicious attachments, spam, phishing attempts, and suspicious links before they reach users. Properly configured filtering reduces exposure to ransomware, credential theft, and social engineering attacks. It also enhances overall network hygiene by preventing inbound malicious traffic from entering internal systems.
Good practices to maintain effectiveness
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Regularly update filtering rules to ensure new phishing campaigns, malware signatures, and threat indicators are blocked.
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Enable advanced threat protection where available, including sandboxing and attachment inspection.
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Enforce DKIM, SPF, and DMARC to reduce spoofed emails and improve sender validation.
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Monitor logs and alerts for unusual delivery patterns or blocked emails that may indicate emerging threats.
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Conduct periodic testing with phishing simulations to validate filtering effectiveness.
How to verify ongoing effectiveness
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Review email gateway and filtering logs to confirm malicious messages are blocked.
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Conduct penetration or red team tests that simulate phishing and malware delivery.
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Audit DKIM, SPF, and DMARC configurations for correctness and coverage.
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Monitor user reports of suspicious emails to identify potential gaps in filtering.
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Validate that the system continues to block threats without impeding legitimate business email.