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by titanadmin | Oct 15, 2023 | Phishing & Email Spam, Spam Software |
Do you know how to sandbox email attachments? If you have yet to start using a sandbox for email, you will be exposed to advanced malware and phishing threats. The good news is it is quick and easy to improve protection with a sandbox, and it requires no advanced techniques or skills, but before presenting an easy email sandboxing solution, we should explain why email sandboxing is now a vital part of email security
Email Sandboxing Detects Advanced and Sophisticated Threats
A hacker writes the code for a new malware variant or generates the code using an AI tool, and then sends that malware via email. A traditional email security solution will not block that malware, as it has not detected it before and it doesn’t have the malware signature in its definition list. The email would most likely be delivered, and the intended recipient could open it and infect their device with malware. From there, the entire network could be compromised and ransomware could be deployed.
How could a new, previously unseen threat be blocked? The answer is email sandboxing. When a file passes initial checks, such as AV scans, the attachment is sent to an email sandbox where its behavior is analyzed. It doesn’t matter if the malware has not been seen before. If the file performs any malicious actions, they will be detected, the threat will be blocked, and if that threat is encountered again, it will be immediately neutralized.
Email sandboxing is now an essential part of email security due to the sheer number of novel malware variants now being released. That includes brand new malware samples, malware with obfuscated code, polymorphic malware, and known malware samples that differ just enough to avoid signature-based detection mechanisms. Without behavioral analysis in a sandbox, these threats will be delivered.
The Easy Way to Sandbox Email Attachments
Setting up an email sandbox need not be complicated and time-consuming. All you need to do is sign up for an advanced cloud-based email security solution such as SpamTitan Email Security. SpamTitan is a 100% cloud-based email security solution that requires no software downloads or complex configurations. Just point your MX record to the SpamTitan Cloud and use your login credentials to access the web-based interface. You can adjust the settings to suit your needs, and the setup process is quick, easy, and intuitive, and generally takes around 20-30 minutes.
The solution is fed threat intelligence from a global network of more than 500 million endpoints, ensuring it is kept up to date and can block all known and emerging threats. You will be immediately protected from known malware and ransomware threats, phishing emails, spam, BEC attacks, and spear phishing, and you will benefit from email sandboxing, where suspicious emails are sent for deep analysis to identify zero-day phishing and malware threats.
The SpamTitan email sandbox is powered by Bitdefender and has purpose-built, advanced machine learning algorithms, decoys and anti-evasion techniques, anti-exploit, and aggressive behavior analysis. If a file is analyzed in the sandbox and found to be malicious, SpamTitan updates Bitdefender’s Global Protective Network, ensuring that the new threat is blocked globally.
Email sandboxing doesn’t need to be complicated. Just use SpamTitan from TitanHQ. SpamTitan is available on a free trial, with customer support provided throughout the 14-day trial to help you get the most out of the solution. We are sure you will love it for the level of protection provided and how easy it is to use.
by titanadmin | Oct 10, 2023 | Phishing & Email Spam, Spam Software |
Businesses are now targeted by advanced persistent threat actors looking for proprietary data, financially motivated threat actors looking to steal sensitive data and conduct extortion attacks, and hacktivist groups that aim to disrupt business operations.
Many of these attacks see initial access to internal networks and accounts gained via email. Credential phishing and malware phishing attempts serve a similar purpose and allow threat actors to obtain initial access to allow them to achieve their objectives, whether that is to gain persistent access for espionage purposes, to steal data, use ransomware, or wipe devices.
Email techniques such as phishing and spear phishing for credential theft or the use of malspam emails for delivering malware can be sophisticated and difficult for end users to detect. Further, advances in artificial intelligence have led to generative AI solutions that are capable of producing flawless phishing emails and generating novel social engineering techniques to trick users into taking the required actions – following a link, disclosing sensitive data, or downloading and executing malware.
Spam filters and secure email gateways have long protected businesses against these threats, but increasingly sophisticated techniques are now used that can bypass the protections of traditional email security solutions and reach end users. To combat these threats email security solutions have had to adapt. Cutting-edge email security solutions such as SpamTitan Email Security have AI and machine learning capabilities that are capable of detecting advanced and sophisticated attacks, in addition to DMARC, SPK, and DKIM reputation checks, and blacklists of known malicious IP addresses and domains.
One of the biggest threats comes from malware, either attached to emails or downloaded from URLs that are linked in email messages. For many years, antivirus engines have been effective at detecting and blocking malware threats, and while they still provide a degree of protection, AV engines are signature-based. When a new malware sample is detected, a unique signature is detected and added to a malware definition list. When a new file is received, it will be checked against all known signatures. If that signature is detected, the file will be quarantined or deleted.
New malware samples, which are being released at an incredible rate, will not be detected as malicious, as their signature has yet to be created and added to the list. These files will therefore not be detected as malicious and will be delivered to inboxes. To protect against this, advanced email security solutions use email sandboxing.
Email sandboxing involves creating an isolated, protected environment for analyzing suspicious emails. If front-end checks are passed, the email is sent to the sandbox for deep analysis. The sandbox is a protected environment where no harm can be caused, and files can be safely analyzed for malicious behavior.
TitanHQ’s Email Sandbox Service
In response to growing threats, TitanHQ added a next-generation email sandbox to its SpamTitan Email Security solution in 2019 to better protect users against malware, spear-phishing, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and to provide security teams with insights into new threats.
TitanHQ’s email sandbox service incorporates award-winning machine learning and behavioral analysis technologies, allowing security teams to safely detonate suspicious files in a secure environment that mirrors production endpoints. Malicious actors are tricked into thinking their malicious payloads have reached their intended target, and the malicious activities are detected. The sandbox analyzes documents, spreadsheets, application files, and executable files, and can detect malware, including polymorphic malware, and other sophisticated threats that have been developed for use in undetectable targeted attacks.
The TitanHQ email sandbox service leverages purpose-built, advanced machine learning algorithms, decoys and anti-evasion techniques, anti-exploit, and aggressive behavior analysis, and all results are checked against an extensive array of online repositories. The analysis takes from a few seconds to a few minutes, and if a malicious file is detected, the results will be uploaded to a cloud threat intelligence service and all users will be protected. If that threat is detected on any device globally, it will not need to be sent to the sandbox again and will be instantly neutralized.
SpamTitan email sandbox service greatly increases the detection rate of elusive threats in the pre-execution stage, including APTs, targeted attacks, evasion techniques, obfuscated malware, custom malware, and ransomware, allows security teams to quickly integrate advanced emulation-based malware analysis, and protects against a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
You can put the SpamTitan email sandbox service to the test today by signing up for a 100% free trial and instantly start protecting your business with sandbox technology.
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by titanadmin | Oct 5, 2023 | Phishing & Email Spam, Spam Software |
Sandboxing is a security feature that protects against malicious code. Rather than execute potentially unsafe code in a standard environment, it is sent to the sandbox – an isolated environment where no harm can be caused.
How Does a Sandbox Work?
A sandbox is an important cybersecurity tool for protecting host devices, operating systems, and data from being exposed to potential threats. The sandbox is a highly controlled system that is used to analyze untrusted applications, files, or code. The sandbox is isolated from the network and real data, and there are only essential resources that are authorized for use. It is not possible for a sandboxed file to access other parts of the network, resources, or the file system, only those specifically set up for the sandbox.
Sandboxes can have different environments. One of the most common implementations uses virtualization. A virtual machine (VM) is set up specifically to examine suspicious programs and code. Some sandboxes include emulation of operating systems to mimic a standard endpoint. Some malware samples perform checks of their environment before executing malicious routines to make sure they are not in a VM. If a VM is detected, the malware will not execute malicious routes and may self-delete to prevent analysis. By emulating a standard endpoint, these checks can be passed to allow analysis. Some sandboxes have full system emulation, which includes the host machine’s physical hardware as well as its operating system and software. These sandboxes provide deeper visibility into the behavior and impact of a program.
In email security, files, attachments, URLs, and programs are sent to the sandbox to check whether they are benign or malicious. The analyses can take between a few seconds to a few minutes, and if any malicious activity is detected, the file will be either quarantined and made available for further study or it will be deleted. Any other instances of that file will be removed from the email system, and any future encounters will see the file, attachment, URL, or program deleted.
SpamTitan Email Sandboxing
SpamTitan Email Security includes a Bitdefender-powered email sandbox to ensure users are protected against zero-day threats. All emails are subjected to a barrage of checks and tests, including scans using two different antivirus engines. SpamTitan features strong machine learning, static analysis, and behavior detection technologies to ensure that only files that require deep analysis get sent to the sandbox. This is important, as deeper analysis may take several minutes, so verified clean and safe messages will not be unduly delayed.
Files that are sent to the sandbox for deep analysis are executed and monitored for signs of malicious activity, with self-protection mechanisms in place to ensure every evasion attempt by a piece of malware is properly marked. The sandbox has purpose-built, advanced machine learning algorithms, decoys and anti-evasion techniques, anti-exploit, and aggressive behavior analysis. All results are checked across known threats in an extensive array of online repositories. If a malicious file is detected, the sandbox updates the Bitdefender’s cloud threat intelligence service – the Bitdefender Global Protective Network – and the sandbox will never have to analyze that threat again as it will be blocked globally.
If you want to improve protection against zero-day threats, give the TitanHQ team a call to find out more about SpamTitan. SpamTitan is available on a free trial to allow you to test it out in your own environment before making a purchase decision.
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by titanadmin | Oct 1, 2023 | Phishing & Email Spam, Spam Software |
What is sandbox security? In an IT sense, sandbox security refers to the use of an isolated environment for testing potentially malicious or unsafe code. The sandbox is an environment that resembles the organization’s real environment. The sandbox is made to look like it is a legitimate rather than a virtual environment; however, the sandbox is totally isolated from other systems and contains no real data.
A sandbox is used for malware analysis, testing potentially unsafe code, or as a guest environment with a tightly controlled set of resources, with no ability to inspect the host system or gain access to the networks, therefore not exposing any threats to real systems or data. For example, if a file needs to be opened and it is unclear whether it contains malicious code, it is opened in a sandbox. Security teams can assess the behavior of the file to determine if it is benign or malicious, and if it is the latter, no harm will be caused.
Sandboxes are commonly used for testing new code to determine whether it is safe and compatible with other systems, without actually putting those systems at risk. The sandbox is used to perform troubleshooting to identify any problematic parts of the code. One of the main benefits of sandbox security is blocking cyberattacks, and sandboxing has become indispensable for email security.
Email Sandboxing
Email sandboxing is the use of a sandbox environment for inbound email, which can be used to protect against phishing and malware threats. When an email is received that contains an attachment or a hyperlink, these can be evaluated in the sandbox before the message is released for delivery to the end user’s inbox. Phishing is one of the most common ways that malicious actors gain initial access to internal networks. Emails are often sent that contain hyperlinks to URLs that host phishing kits that steal credentials or sites hosting malware. These emails can be sent to a sandbox where the links can be followed, and the content of the URLs assessed. If a file download is triggered, the file can be analyzed to determine its behavior.
The same applies to email attachments. An email attachment such as a Word document or Excel spreadsheet may contain a malicious macro or other malicious code, which could provide a threat actor with remote access to the device and network. By opening the attachment in the sandbox, the behavior of the file can be analyzed safely. If found to be malicious, all other instances of that malware can be removed and if the file is received again, it will be automatically deleted. Security teams can also safely study malware to determine the nature of the threat and learn important information about the adversary and their intentions.
Why Is Email Sandboxing So Important?
Traditional email security solutions are effective at detecting and blocking known malware threats. They use one or more antivirus engines for scanning email attachments for known signatures of viruses and malware. If these signatures are detected, the threat will be blocked. The problem with signature-based detection is the signature must be known. While virus definition lists are updated on a daily or even hourly basis, new malware threats are constantly being released. If a new malware variant is received for which there is no signature, it will not be detected as malicious and will be delivered to an inbox where it can be executed.
Sandbox security plugs this security gap. If an attachment passes AV checks, it is sent to the sandbox for deep analysis of its behavior, allowing zero-day malware threats to be detected and blocked. Cybercriminals do not just use one version of a malware sample, they use many different versions, each differing sufficiently to evade AV checks. Without sandbox security, organizations are at risk of infection with these malware variants.
TitanHQ’s SpamTitan Email Security solution features dual antivirus engines for detecting known malware threats, and a Bitdefender-powered email sandbox for detecting zero day malware and phishing threats and provides security teams with valuable insights into new threats to help them mitigate risks. Give the TitanHQ team a call to find out more about how SpamTitan with sandbox security can improve your security posture. SpamTitan is also available on a free trial to allow you to put the product to the test and see for yourself the difference it makes.
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by titanadmin | Sep 27, 2023 | Phishing & Email Spam, Spam Software |
https://www.spamtitan.com/blog/email-sandboxing-key-blocking-malware-threats/Email security solutions with email sandboxing block more malware threats than traditional spam filters, even novel malware variants that have yet to be identified as malicious. Without this important feature, emails with malicious attachments will likely be delivered to inboxes where they can be opened by employees. All it takes is for one employee to open a malicious file for malware to be installed that gives a threat actor the foothold they need for a comprehensive attack on the network.
What is an Email Sandbox?
In cybersecurity terms, a sandbox is an isolated, virtual machine where potentially unsafe code can be executed in safety, files can be subjected to deep analysis, and URLs can be visited without risk. In the sandbox, the behavior of files, code, and URLs is inspected, and since the sandbox is not networked and there is no access to real data or applications, there is no risk of causing any damage. Email sandboxing is used to identify malicious code and URLs in emails. The email sandbox mirrors standard endpoints to trick malicious actors into thinking that they have reached their intended target. Emails may pass front-end tests that look at the reputation of the sender, email headers, the content of the messages, and subject attachments to signature-based anti-virus tests, but there is no guarantee that the emails are safe without sandbox-based behavioral analysis.
Why is Email Sandboxing Important?
Cyber threat actors have been developing techniques for bypassing standard email security solutions such as embedding malicious URLs in PDF attachments, hiding malicious content in compressed files, using multiple redirects on hyperlinks, and including links to legitimate cloud-based platforms such as SharePoint for distributing malware. Traditional email security solutions can filter out spam and phishing emails, but they often fail to block more sophisticated threats, especially zero-day malware threats. Email sandboxing provides an extra layer of protection against sophisticated threats such as spear-phishing emails, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and novel malware variants.
A few years ago, new malware variants were released at a fairly slow pace; however, threat actors are now using automation and artificial intelligence to generate new malware variants at an alarming rate. Malware samples are used that deviate sufficiently from a known threat to be able to bypass signature-based detection mechanisms, ensuring they reach their intended targets. Rather than just using one version of malware in their email campaigns, dozens of versions are created on a daily basis. While security awareness training will help employees identify and avoid suspicious emails, threat actors have become adept at social engineering and often hoodwink employees.
The SpamTitan Email Sandbox
The SpamTitan email sandbox is a powerful next-generation security feature with award-winning machine-learning and behavioral analysis technologies. Powered by Bitdefender, the SpamTitan sandbox for email allows files to be safely detonated where they can do no harm. Email attachments that pass the barrage of checks performed by SpamTitan are sent to the sandbox for deep analysis. The sandbox is a virtual environment that is configured to appear to be a typical endpoint and incorporates purpose-built, advanced machine learning algorithms, decoys and anti-evasion techniques, anti-exploit, and aggressive behavior analysis. Files are also subjected to checks across an extensive array of online repositories, with the sandbox checks taking just a few minutes. That ensures that genuine emails are not unduly delayed. If malicious properties are detected in the sandbox, the threat intelligence is passed to Bitdefender’s Global Protective Network (cloud threat intelligence service). If the threat is encountered again, it will be detected and blocked without having to be analyzed again in the sandbox.
The SpamTitan sandbox is used for a wide range of attachments, including office documents to check for malicious URLs, macros, and scripts, and all executable and application files. The sandbox allows SpamTitan to detect polymorphic malware and other threats that have been designed for use in undetectable targeted attacks. If a malicious file is detected, the email is not sent to a spam folder where it could be opened by an end user, it is quarantined in a directory on the local email server which only an administrator can access. Administrators may wish to conduct further investigations to gain insights into how their organization is being targeted.
Threat actors are conducting increasingly sophisticated attacks, so email security solutions need to be deployed that are capable of detecting these advanced threats. With zero-day threats on the rise, now is the ideal time to improve your email defenses with SpamTitan. Why not sign up for a free trial of SpamTitan today to put the solution to the test to see the difference the advanced threat detection capabilities make to your security posture? Product demonstrations can also be requested by contacting TitanHQ, and our friendly sales team will be more than happy to discuss SpamTitan with you and the best deployment options to meet the needs of your business.
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