Putting Your Email Security to the Test: Effective Scenarios for Testing

• Apr 10, 2023,
• TG8 Security

Email security gateways are an essential component of any organization’s security posture, as they provide protection against various email-based threats. These threats include spam, phishing, malware, and other forms of cyber attacks that attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in email communication. To ensure the effectiveness of email security gateways, it is essential to perform regular testing to identify any weaknesses or vulnerabilities in the system. In this blog, we will discuss various email security gateway testing scenarios that organizations can consider to test the efficacy of their email security gateways.

Scenario 1: Test for spam filtering

One of the primary functions of an email security gateway is to filter out spam emails. To test the effectiveness of the spam filtering, organizations can send out a series of test emails that contain various spam characteristics. These emails could include words commonly associated with spam emails, such as “free,” “guaranteed,” and “limited time offer.” Organizations can also send emails containing links to known spam websites or emails with attachments that contain spam content. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine the effectiveness of their spam filtering.

Scenario 2: Test for phishing protection

Phishing attacks are a common form of email-based cyber attacks that attempt to trick users into revealing sensitive information or performing unauthorized actions. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in protecting against phishing attacks, organizations can send out simulated phishing emails to their employees. These emails should contain characteristics commonly associated with phishing emails, such as a sense of urgency, a request for personal information, or a sense of authority. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine the effectiveness of their phishing protection.

Scenario 3: Test for malware protection

Emails containing malware can be incredibly damaging to an organization’s security posture, as they can compromise entire systems and networks. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in protecting against malware, organizations can send out test emails containing malicious attachments or links to infected websites. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine the effectiveness of their malware protection.

Scenario 4: Test for policy compliance

Organizations may have specific policies and regulations that govern the type of emails that can be sent and received. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in enforcing policy compliance, organizations can send out test emails that violate these policies. These emails could contain sensitive information, inappropriate content, or unapproved attachments. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine the effectiveness of their policy compliance.

 Scenario 5: Test for encryption and data protection

Emails often contain sensitive information that needs to be protected. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in encrypting and protecting sensitive data, organizations can send out test emails containing confidential information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or healthcare information. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine whether the data was properly encrypted and protected during transmission.

Scenario 6: Test for email continuity and availability

Email communication is critical for business operations, and any disruption to email availability can cause significant problems. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in ensuring email continuity and availability, organizations can simulate email service disruptions by intentionally blocking or delaying email traffic. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these disruptions, organizations can determine whether the gateway is capable of ensuring email continuity and availability during an outage.

Scenario 7: Test for user awareness and education

Even with the most advanced email security gateway, human error can still lead to cyber attacks. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in educating and raising user awareness about email-based threats, organizations can conduct phishing awareness training sessions for their employees. These sessions can include simulated phishing attacks followed by training and education on how to identify and avoid phishing attempts. By analyzing the results of these training sessions, organizations can determine whether their email security gateways are effectively educating and raising user awareness about email-based threats.

Scenario 8: Test for email authentication and spoofing protection

Email authentication and spoofing protection are critical components of email security, as they help prevent email spoofing and impersonation attacks. To test the effectiveness of email security gateways in preventing these types of attacks, organizations can send out test emails with spoofed sender addresses. By analyzing the gateway’s response to these test emails, organizations can determine whether the gateway is effectively authenticating incoming email and preventing email spoofing and impersonation attacks.

In conclusion, email security is a complex and ever-evolving landscape, and organizations must take a multi-layered approach to protect against email-based threats. By considering these additional testing scenarios, organizations can ensure that their email security gateways are providing adequate protection against a wide range of email-based threats

TG8 Security is a company based in Texas, USA that offers a consolidated platform of DPI firewall and cybersecurity gateways. This platform is designed to improve security, reduce costs, and simplify management for organizations. TG8 Security works with channel partners worldwide to implement and support its products and solutions, making it accessible to organizations across the globe.