Email continues to be a critical communication tool for businesses, but it’s also a prime target for cyberattacks. Conducting regular email security audits is crucial to identify vulnerabilities and ensure your organization’s email system is adequately protected. Now regular can mean many different things to different companies. If you rely vert heavily on email for your business you should probably audit every 6 months. Otherwise you can probably perform the audit once a year.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you perform a comprehensive email security audit. But this obviously is not set in stone and should be customized for your environment.
1. Define the Scope and Objectives
- Clearly outline what systems, processes, and policies will be included in the audit.
- Do you have separate email systems for marketing emails vs company emails?
- Set specific goals for the audit, such as identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring compliance, or improving overall email security posture.
2. Review Email Infrastructure
- Examine your email server configurations (on-premises and/or cloud-based).
- Do you have Exchange or a cloud provider like Google?
- Verify that all systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches.
- Assess the security of any third-party email services or plugins used.
- This one can be difficult depending on which Third Parties you use.
3. Evaluate Authentication Protocols
- Check if SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records are properly configured.
- Verify DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) implementation and key management.
- Consider rotating these DKIM Keys at least every 6 months
- Ensure DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) policies are in place and appropriately set.
- Tools like MonitorDMARC can help you to keep track of these records.
4. Assess Encryption Practices
- Verify that TLS (Transport Layer Security) is enabled for incoming and outgoing mail servers.
- Check if end-to-end encryption options are available for sensitive communications.
- Review practices for encrypting emails at rest (stored on servers or devices).
5. Examine Access Controls
- Review user account management processes, including creation, modification, and deletion.
- Inactive user accounts are a target for malicious actors and should be removed as soon as possible
- Assess password policies and encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Evaluate permissions and access levels for different user roles.
- Users should have the minimum amount of permissions to perform their job.
6. Analyze Email Filtering and Anti-malware Solutions
- Review spam filter configurations and effectiveness.
- Assess anti-virus and anti-malware solutions integrated with your email system.
- Check if attachment scanning and link protection features are enabled and up-to-date.
- Link protection services like those offered by Microsoft (Safe Links) are major steps to combating phishing attempts by scanning the link before a user can click on it.
7. Review Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Measures
- Examine DLP policies to prevent accidental or intentional data leaks via email.
- Verify that sensitive information is appropriately classified and protected.
- Test DLP rules to ensure they’re functioning as intended.
- Consider restricting users being able to “Auto-Forward” emails to personal accounts
8. Evaluate Backup and Archiving Processes
- Review email backup procedures and test the restoration process.
- Ensure archiving solutions comply with relevant regulations and internal policies.
- Verify that archived emails are securely stored and easily retrievable when needed.
- Perform a test restore of the data you have to make sure it works properly
- Review your documented process for restoring emails in a disaster
- This policy should be very clear and specific so anyone with the proper permissions can perform the restore.
9. Assess Employee Training and Awareness
- Review the content and frequency of security awareness training programs.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of phishing simulation exercises.
- Assess employees’ understanding of email security best practices.
- Perform user training at least once a year
10. Examine Incident Response Plans
- Review procedures for handling email-related security incidents.
- Ensure clear escalation paths and responsibilities are defined.
- Verify that the incident response team is properly trained and equipped.
11. Conduct Penetration Testing
- Perform or outsource email-focused penetration testing to identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Test both technical controls and human factors (e.g., susceptibility to social engineering).
12. Review Compliance with Regulations
- Ensure email practices comply with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS).
- Verify that necessary consent mechanisms and privacy notices are in place.
13. Analyze Mobile Device Email Access
- Review policies for accessing corporate email on mobile devices.
- Assess the security of mobile email apps and device management solutions.
- Review list of devices that have connected to your email systems
14. Document Findings and Develop an Action Plan
- Compile a comprehensive report of the audit findings, including identified vulnerabilities and risks.
- Prioritize issues based on their potential impact and likelihood.
- Develop a detailed action plan to address identified gaps and improve overall email security.
15. Implement Recommendations and Follow Up
- Execute the action plan, addressing high-priority issues first.
- Establish a timeline for implementing improvements and regularly review progress.
- Plan for future audits to ensure ongoing email security improvement.
By following these steps, you can conduct a thorough email security audit that will help protect your organization from a wide range of email-based threats. Remember, email security is an ongoing process, and regular audits are essential to stay ahead of evolving cybersecurity challenges. Please customize this list however you would like to match your companies assets.