You’d think by now, with all the fancy new hacking tools out there, cybercriminals would’ve moved on from email. But nope—good old-fashioned email remains their favorite attack vector. Why? Because it works.

Email is the easiest way to reach people directly, and it doesn’t take much effort to trick someone into clicking a link, opening an attachment, or handing over sensitive information. In fact, studies show that over 90% of cyberattacks start with an email.

So, if email is still the #1 threat vector, what can businesses actually do about it?

Why Email Remains the Top Cyber Threat

1. Email Is Universal: Every business, regardless of size or industry, relies on email. That makes it a near-perfect attack surface for criminals. From CEOs to interns, everyone’s got an inbox—and attackers know it.
2. Human Error Never Goes Away: Let’s face it—people make mistakes. Someone in accounting clicks a phishing link. A sales rep downloads a “customer invoice” that turns out to be malware. Attackers exploit trust and urgency, and it works time and time again.
3. Phishing Is Cheap and Scalable: Unlike breaking into a secure server or bypassing firewalls, sending a phishing email costs pennies. Hackers can blast thousands of emails in seconds and don’t need everyone to fall for it—just a few victims are enough.
4. Business Email Compromise (BEC) Pays Big: BEC attacks (where criminals impersonate executives or vendors) have surged because they don’t even require malware. Just a convincing message is enough to trick employees into wiring money or handing over data. According to the FBI, BEC scams have caused billions of dollars in losses worldwide.

The Most Common Email-Based Threats

• Phishing Attacks – Fraudulent emails trick users into revealing login credentials or financial info.
• Ransomware Delivery – Malicious attachments or links install ransomware, locking up systems until a ransom is paid.
• Business Email Compromise (BEC) – Criminals spoof executives or suppliers to request fraudulent payments.
• Malware Attachments – Infected files disguised as invoices, resumes, or shipping notifications.
• Credential Harvesting – Fake login pages capture usernames and passwords.

Why Businesses Struggle With Email Security

• Overconfidence: “Our spam filter is enough.” Spoiler: it’s not.
• Lack of Training: Employees don’t know how to spot suspicious emails.
• Shadow IT: People use personal email accounts or unapproved apps.
• Remote Work Gaps: The shift to hybrid work has opened new vulnerabilities.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Business

Here’s the good news—you don’t have to accept email threats as inevitable. A layered defense strategy can drastically reduce the risk.

Strengthen Technical Defenses

• Deploy advanced email filtering to block phishing and malware.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect accounts even if credentials are stolen.
• Use DMARC, SPF, and DKIM protocols to prevent spoofed emails.

Train Your Employees

• Run regular phishing simulations to test awareness.
• Teach staff how to recognize red flags: urgent tone, mismatched URLs, odd attachments.
• Encourage a “think before you click” culture.

Implement Strong Policies

• Require verification (via phone or secure channel) for financial transactions.
• Ban the use of personal email accounts for business purposes.
• Create a clear incident response plan for suspected email attacks.

Keep Software Updated

Unpatched systems are easy prey. Regular updates for email clients, browsers, and operating systems help block exploits.

Partner With Security Experts

If you’re a mid-sized business without a full security team, consider a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to monitor, filter, and respond to email-based threats 24/7.

Wrapping It Up: Don’t Let Email Be Your Weakest Link

Email may be old-school, but it’s still the #1 way hackers sneak into organizations. From phishing and ransomware to BEC scams, email-based attacks continue to evolve—and businesses that underestimate the threat pay the price.

The solution isn’t to ditch email—it’s to harden your defenses. With strong filters, employee training, authentication protocols, and a layered security approach, you can turn your inbox from your biggest vulnerability into a manageable risk.

Cybercriminals aren’t giving up on email anytime soon. The question is: will you be ready when they hit send?