Spam mail is what? Common types of spam mail today

Spam mail, also known as junk email, refers to unsolicited emails sent in bulk, often for advertising or promotional purposes. Besides being annoying, spam emails can pose security risks by containing malicious links or spyware. These emails are typically sent through botnets to scale up their reach and effectiveness.

However, users should be cautious with the emails they receive, as spam messages can contain hidden threats. Nowadays, spam mail is often sent in large volumes through networks of infected computers controlled remotely (botnets), enabling larger-scale attacks compared to traditional methods of sending individual emails.

Commercial advertising

When businesses collect users' email addresses, they often take the opportunity to automatically subscribe them to informational emails. This is a common promotional strategy, so users should pay attention to checkboxes when filling out online forms to decide whether to receive promotional emails.

Although these advertising emails can be somewhat bothersome, most of them are harmless and comply with network security laws. If users have unsubscribed but continue to receive spam, they should adjust their email settings to automatically filter messages from unwanted addresses.

Virus warning emails

These emails often warn that the user's computer might be infected with a virus and suggest running a virus scan as a solution. However, users should be cautious before clicking on links in these emails, as they could be a means for attackers to gain access to the system or download malicious files.

If users suspect their computer might be infected with a virus, they should avoid clicking on links from unknown sources and instead use reputable security software to protect their information and data.

Email spoofing

Spam emails of this type are highly sophisticated, as they can mimic legitimate messages from companies, partners, or familiar contacts, leading users to take actions suggested in the email without being cautious. Before replying or clicking on any links, check the email address (not just the display name) to ensure it is legitimate. If in doubt, contact the company directly to verify whether the email is genuine.

Prize notifications

Attackers often send spoofed emails claiming that the user has won a prize in a lottery or competition. These emails urge users to respond immediately to claim the prize by clicking on a link or providing personal information. If users do not recognize the competition or if the email address seems suspicious, they should avoid clicking on the link or providing personal information.

According to a report by the Information Security Journal at the end of 2023, email remains a crucial communication tool in the workplace, with over 333 billion emails sent and received daily worldwide. However, reliance on email has increased security risks, making this tool a prime target for cybercriminals.

The journal also reported that 75% of organizations experienced successful email attacks that year, with the highest rates recorded in India and the Benelux countries (82% and 85%, respectively). These attacks have serious consequences, including downtime, loss of sensitive data, and reputational damage.

Small companies often suffer more from sensitive data loss, while companies with many remote employees face higher financial losses. Remote work offers flexibility but also increases security risks due to challenges in managing security policies and higher vulnerability to cyberattacks.

Industries experiencing the highest damage from spam mail attacks include:

• Business Services: $150,100,000

• Entertainment and Media: $1,468,548

• Energy: $1,316,190

These figures highlight the need for implementing robust email security measures to protect organizations from increasingly severe risks. Organizations must deploy comprehensive and synchronized security solutions. These measures not only protect email systems from common threats but also minimize the risk of attacks that disrupt email servers. Here are some practical solutions to enhance email security:

• Implement email encryption: Ensure that all sensitive emails are encrypted during transmission and storage to protect data from unauthorized access. Employee training: Increase employees' awareness of phishing email signs and how to handle them to avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.

• Update security software: Ensure that all security software and email systems are regularly updated to defend against the latest threats.

• Apply email authentication policies: Use security protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate email sources and reduce the risk of spoofing.

• Utilize third-party email security services: Consider using email security services from professional providers to access additional protection tools and solutions.

In light of the alarming statistics on the increase in email attacks mentioned above, implementing effective security measures is not only critically important but also helps businesses minimize resource needs and manage security more efficiently. Advanced security solutions enable companies to proactively protect their information, saving time and effort in managing security systems while enhancing protection against increasingly sophisticated threats. To address the need for protecting email systems from these threats, EG-Platform by VNETWORK Inc. stands out as a comprehensive email security solution. Developed with the latest technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, this platform offers a three-layer email attack filtering system designed to effectively protect business emails in both sending and receiving directions, including:

• SpamGuard: An advanced spam filtering system that utilizes Machine Learning and Bayesian technology to protect businesses from spam threats and enhance email security. Capable of eliminating up to 99.9% of spam emails, SpamGuard not only blocks illegal intermediary servers but also reduces the risk from Phishing Emails, Viruses, and Ransomware. The system is equipped with spam detection rules from reputable organizations like Rapid7, Gartner, and ITSCC, improving accuracy and effectiveness in identifying and blocking spam. SpamGuard allows users to customize the filtering process according to their business needs and standards, and adjust the filtering level to ensure the system operates efficiently and meets customer requirements. With powerful email analysis and tracking features, it enables comparison and storage of emails over time, and supports recovery of old emails when needed, ensuring important information is not missed. SpamGuard reduces the burden of spam emails while optimizing email system performance and protecting businesses from increasingly sophisticated online threats.

EG-Platform's filters

• Receive Guard: A robust solution for protecting incoming emails, preventing spoofed emails, APT attacks, and BEC attacks. This system checks URLs and analyzes user behavior, converting suspicious URLs into images. Utilizing Machine Learning, Receive Guard detects spoofed domains and verifies emails in a virtual environment to enhance threat detection, focusing on identifying and preventing email-based network attacks such as phishing, zero-day vulnerabilities, and Ransomware. Additionally, Receive Guard uses advanced AI to protect email information, verify critical details like headers, IP addresses, and URLs, and thoroughly check for spoofed strings, ensuring maximum protection for users' personal information.

• Send Guard: A comprehensive solution for protecting outgoing emails, helping to manage and approve emails before sending to ensure information safety. The system checks content to prevent information leaks and supports safe sending and retrieval of emails. Send Guard blocks connections from IP-based or country-based systems and from Outlook, detecting emails containing malware or illegal content, ensuring the prevention of harmful messages and alerting users.

In the face of increasingly severe spam mail issues, implementing a robust email security solution like EG-Platform is crucial for protecting business email systems. For more information about this solution, to conduct a POC (Proof of Concept) for the system, and to receive a quote, please contact us via hotline +84 (028) 7306 8789 or email: contact@vnetwork.vn.