Zoho Mail clinches gold with VBSpam+ award: How you can armor up against spam

The days of the “Nigerian prince” email scams are over. Email threats have evolved into something even more fierce and fatal. We must equip ourselves to prevent, manage, and deal with these threats. Enter Zoho Mail, your armored sentry to ensure your email security.

We're thrilled to unveil a significant achievement: Zoho Mail has proudly secured the distinguished VBSpam+ award. But this milestone is just a part of our commitment to bolstering your email security.

Buckle up as we journey through the intricacies of email threats, our commitment to your security, and actionable steps to fortify your defenses.

Threats to email security

What is the one form of communication every business on earth uses? Hint: It begins with an “e” and ends with “mail.”

Email is the most trusted and common mode of business communication. Naturally, attackers constantly look for a chink in the armor to exploit, gain control, access confidential information, or any other malicious action. It’s critical to know the common threats to email security.  

1. Phishing

Picture a fishing hook with bait attached. Attackers attempt to trick you into revealing sensitive information, download malware, or take you to a dodgy website.

2. BEC

Business email compromise is a form of social engineering used to swindle your organization's funds or valuable information. Attackers target high-ranking executives, such as CEOs, CFOs, or CTOs, and puppeteer their accounts to exploit other employees. If you receive an email from your CEO asking you to transfer funds urgently, it may possibly be just a hacker in a hoodie.  

3. Malware

Malware includes viruses, trojans, spyware, or any malicious software developed to steal, disrupt, or gain access to computer systems.

4. Ransomware

Imagine if someone changes the locks to your own house and demands you pay up to get the key. Attackers block you from accessing your own files and data by encrypting them, then demand a ransom for their release.

5. Cousin domain attack

If you receive a 50% discount coupon for Sh0pping.com, beware! It is designed to look and sound like the real deal: Shopping.com. Cousin domains are crafted to resemble legitimate domains to trick users into taking an action.  

Your security is our not-so-secret ingredient

Zoho Mail thwarts threats and keeps attackers at bay. Yes, we’re armed with a robust shield, but how do we walk the talk?

1. Regular audits

Periodic audits are our way of checking for monsters under the bed. It allows us to monitor and refine our security policies. We take it so seriously that we even provide the Audit Tracking feature to you: your organization's admin.

2. Fashion your own fortress

We understand that you may have unique security needs specific to your organization. So, we give you the tools to design your own custom email policies, set permissions, accesses, and conditions to fit your requirements.

3. Compliant to a “T”

Zoho Mail is compliant with numerous regulatory requirements, all with your security and privacy in mind. It’s compliant with GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and other regulatory standards.  

If you’re wondering whether we go beyond the industry-standard—yes we do! We back our strong commitment to your security, which is ingrained in our core values, with advanced threat protection.  

Zoho Mail adds another feather to its cap  

We’re excited to share that Zoho Mail has been honored with the VBSpam+ award for Q2 2023. Zoho Mail earned a final score of 99.61 out of 100. It’s a towering testament to our ongoing efforts to uphold the highest standards of email security.

VBSpam+ is the highest award bestowed by Virus Bulletin, an independent testing and certification body. It’s one of the leading authorities providing insights on spam-filtering and anti-malware solutions. Email security solutions are subjected to rigorous testing and performance measurement.  

To achieve the VBSpam+ award, a product must combine a spam catch rate of 99.5% or higher with zero false positives, with no more than 2.5% false positives among the newsletters. Take a peek at the Virus Bulletin Report for the full scoop.

How can you fortify against security threats?

1. As individual users

Spam shields up

Always keep spam processing turned on. They’re the first line of defense against a tide of spam emails.

Manage your lists

Manage your trusted list and allowed list carefully. Spoofing emails are masters of disguise and may slip through the cracks.

Verify sender identity

Verify the identity of the sender before performing any action such as clicking, downloading, or replying.

Alerts are allies

Pay heed to the alerts, warnings, and indicators shown in your email preview. They’re your allies and they’re trying to get—and keep—you out of trouble.

Think before you click

Be wary of links from external sources and think before opening them. If you’re in doubt, a quick verification can avert a potential breach.  

2. As your organization's admin

Spam control

Facilitate spam control by setting up spam verifications, quarantine settings, and spam lists for your organization.

Email policy restriction

Set email policies for organizational users based on their roles and/or requirements.

Security dashboard score

Aim to complete the recommended actions on the dashboard to boost your organization's security. Boost your score while you’re it!

Quarantine check

Verify emails before delivering them from quarantine.

Email threats aren’t mere shadows. They’re armed with an intent—a malicious one. By being vigilant and following these steps, either as an admin or a user, you can clinch gold and bolster your email security.

A sneak peek into upcoming features

To combat the swarm of evolving email threats, our security measures upgrade in tandem. These upcoming features reinforce your digital walls.

Rules

As admins understand their organization's security needs the best, the Rules feature gives additional power back to them. Admins can now define and set up spam processing rules for their organization. Controlling mail flow has never been this easy.

Smart alerts

Admins can now go one step further. Set custom alerts in the email preview to help your organization's members be more vigilant. Alerts are our allies, remember? But it doesn't end there—modify the subject line and add a custom header, too.

Conclusion

According to a report by Deloitte, 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email. There are countless other threats lurking around. The email threat landscape is a dance floor and we, as your guardians, move with the rhythm.