Home > Empowering Tips > Is That Email Real? Protect Your Company from Spoofing

In today’s digital world, email is the backbone of most businesses. But what if the email you just received, seemingly from your trusted supplier or even your CEO, isn’t actually from them? This is the danger of email spoofing, a sneaky trick cybercriminals use to gain access to your money, data, or even your reputation.

As business owners and employees, understanding and preventing email spoofing isn’t just an IT department’s job – it’s crucial for everyone. Let’s break down what email spoofing is and how you can protect your business.

What is Email Spoofing?

Imagine getting a letter in the mail with a return address that looks exactly like your bank’s, but it’s actually sent by a con artist. That’s essentially what email spoofing is.

Cybercriminals forge the “From” address of an email to make it appear as if it’s coming from someone you know and trust – a colleague, a vendor, a client, or even a senior executive. They do this by manipulating certain technical parts of the email, making your email program display the fake sender’s name and address. Most people don’t look beyond that display name, which is exactly what the fraudsters are counting on.

Why do they do it? The goal is usually to:

• Trick you into sending money: They might send a fake invoice or an urgent request for a wire transfer.
• Steal sensitive information: They could ask for login credentials, bank details, or other confidential company data.
• Spread malware: The email might contain a malicious link or attachment that, if clicked or opened, infects your computer system.
• Damage your reputation: They might send embarrassing or harmful emails pretending to be you or your company.

Real-world examples are terrifying. Businesses have lost millions due to spoofed emails requesting fraudulent payments or tricking employees into revealing sensitive data.

How to Spot a Spoofed Email

While some spoofed emails are highly sophisticated, many have tell-tale signs:

1. Check the ACTUAL Sender Email Address (Not Just the Display Name)

This is your first and most important step. On a desktop email client, hover your mouse over the sender’s name, or on mobile, tap on the sender’s name. Look for discrepancies between the display name and the actual email address. For example, “Accounts Dept.” might show an email like “accounts.dept@freemail.com” instead of your company’s official domain. Even subtle misspellings (e.g., “micr0soft.com” instead of “microsoft.com”) are a huge red flag.

2. Look for Generic Greetings and Poor Grammar

Legitimate businesses typically use your name and have professional, error-free communication. “Dear Sir/Madam” or numerous typos are strong indicators of a scam.

3. Sense of Urgency or Threats

Emails demanding “immediate action” to avoid penalties or claim a reward are common phishing tactics. They want you to act without thinking.

4. Suspicious Links or Unexpected Attachments

NEVER click on links or open attachments from an unexpected or suspicious email. If you’re unsure, hover over the link (don’t click!) to see the true destination. If it looks like a jumble of characters or doesn’t match the company’s official website, avoid it.

5. Unusual Requests

Is your CEO suddenly asking you to buy gift cards? Is a vendor asking you to change their bank account details via email without prior discussion or verification? Always be wary of out-of-the-ordinary requests, especially those involving money or sensitive information.

6. Inconsistencies in Signature

Does the sender’s email signature (phone, address, job title, company website) look odd or is it entirely missing when it shouldn’t be? Scammers often use generic or incorrect details, or no signature at all. Always verify contact info with official company records, not just what’s in the email.

Tips to Protect Your Business from Email Spoofing

Beyond your personal vigilance, here are practical steps your business can take:

1. Educate Your Employees

This is perhaps the most critical step. Conduct regular training sessions on how to identify phishing and spoofing attempts. Encourage a culture of “stop, look, and think” before clicking or responding to any suspicious email. Consider running mock phishing campaigns to test their awareness.

2. Implement Email Authentication Protocols

This sounds technical, but it’s vital. Talk to your IT team or email service provider about setting up:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): This tells receiving email servers which IP addresses are authorized to send emails from your domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): This adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, verifying that the message hasn’t been tampered with in transit.
• DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): This builds on SPF and DKIM, giving you control over how emails that fail authentication are handled (e.g., sent to spam or rejected entirely).

These protocols essentially tell other email servers: Yes, this email really came from us, and it hasn’t been changed.

3. Enable Junk Filtering (Spam Filters)

All email systems typically have built-in tools to catch suspicious emails. Make sure your junk or spam filters are turned on and set to a high level of protection. While they don’t catch everything, they can block many common spoofing and phishing attempts before they even land in your main inbox. Regularly check your “Junk” or “Spam” folder to ensure legitimate emails aren’t being caught by mistake, but be extra cautious with anything you find there.

4. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Even if an attacker manages to get login credentials through a spoofed email, MFA adds a crucial second layer of security, making it much harder for them to access your accounts.

5. Establish Clear Policies for Financial Transactions

Implement strict procedures for verifying any requests involving money transfers or changes to bank details. This should always involve a separate, confirmed method of communication (e.g., a phone call to a known number, not one provided in the email).

6. Regularly Update Software

Keep your email clients, operating systems, and security software up to date. These updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities that attackers exploit.

Email spoofing is a persistent threat, but with awareness and proactive measures, you can significantly reduce your business’s risk. By empowering yourself and your team with the knowledge to spot and prevent these attacks, you’re building a stronger, more secure foundation for your business’s success. Stay vigilant!