When sending out work related emails, it is important to make sure that the email being sent is not
unintentionally flagged as a malicious phishing email. Since many attacks involve the use of fake emails with suspicious attachments, all work related emails must be written and formatted in such a way that the recipient trusts that the email was sent from a legitimate and reputable source. If you are a recipient of a suspicious email, it is a good idea to verify the source of the email before clicking on any links or downloading attachments. If you have any doubt about an email, don’t take any risks.
Listed below are some tips for writing good emails:
Always…
- Include a Clear Subject Message
- Include a Description of All Email Attachments in the Body or Subject of your Email
- Specify Your Intended Recipient
- Identify Yourself
- Proofread Your Emails
When your recipient receives your email, they should immediately know who the email is from and what the email is about. If possible, subject messages should be short and to the point.
If you attach a file to your email, make sure to mention it in your email. Random attachments may seem suspicious to your recipient. In addition, it is important to name all attachments in such a way that your recipient knows what they are receiving. Filenames such as “File.pdf” and “A6vwdd134Fs_2003.jpeg” are suspicious and should be renamed.
Always address your intended recipient(s) at the beginning of the body of your email. In addition to being more professional, addressing your recipient(s) will let them know that the email they received was meant for them. Often, phishing emails are sent in mass and do not address individual people. It is good practice to start your emails with “Dear (name)” or “To (name)”.
Your email address alone is not enough for your recipient to know who they are receiving your email from. Within the body or subject of your email, you should include your name and all information that pertains to the email. In addition, emails should end with a signature which includes your name, department, etc so your recipient can easily identify you as a legitimate sender.
Many phishing emails have minor typos, poor grammar, or unusual formatting. To avoid making your email seem suspicious, it is good practice to proofread your emails for spelling and grammatical errors, and format your email in such a way that it is easy to read and understand.
Never…
- Embed Links Without a Description
- Ask For Personal Information or Credentials
- Send Work Related Emails With a Personal Account
Links that are included in emails can be suspicious to the recipient, especially if they appear without any description. Since many phishing attacks involve malicious links, it is important to describe the purpose of all links and the destination of the links so your recipient is not suspicious of your email.
Many phishing attacks involve asking users for personal information such as credit card numbers or account numbers. All sensitive information should be handled in a secure manner. Do not make requests for any sensitive information including but not limited to credit card numbers, passwords, social security numbers etc.
Often times, scammers will use email addresses that are similar to a legitimate email address but may have some distinct differences. If you are sending work related emails, be sure to use your official work email account. If you are unable to send your email through a work email account, make sure that you use an email address that is named in a professional manner.
As a general rule of thumb, you should always write emails in a professional manner regardless of the content of the email!