Trend Micro Report Reveals Mounting Cloud Email Threats to Office 365 Require Second Layer of Defense

Cloud App Security report highlights the dangers of relying solely on built-in email security

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach – 5 March 2019 – Trend Micro
Incorporated
(TYO: 4704;TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today
announced that its Cloud App Security tool blocked nearly nine million
high-risk email threats in 2018 as attackers continued to evolve their tactics,
highlighting the importance of investing in multi-layered protection for online
platforms like Office 365.

The findings from Trend Micro’s Cloud
App Security report detail how escalating email threat levels are exposing
organizations to an increased risk of fraud, spying, information theft, and
spoofing. As email remains a staple communication and collaboration tool
globally, it is convenient for cybercriminals to leverage this integral,
trusted platform for compromising attacks.

“Organizations are increasingly
looking to cloud email services to boost productivity and agility, but the
Cloud App Security report reveals that–from credential phishing to business
email compromise (BEC) and the use of unusual file types–hackers are employing
a variety of new tactics to evade built-in controls, making it critical to
invest in a second layer of defense,” said Tony Lee, Head of Consulting at
Trend Micro Hong Kong.

As the report
reveals, email remains one of the most popular threat vectors. In total, the
solution detected and blocked nearly 9 million high-risk email threats in 2018.
This number was even after Cloud App Security was used as a second filter for
emails that passed through Office 365. A Trend Micro customers’ detection
result is available in the report.

This underscores that sophisticated,
multi-layered security is imperative for cloud-based email security as part of
the shared responsibility model.

Lee continued, “Microsoft is a valued
partner of ours and by no means the only provider targeted by these evolving
tactics. While its internal controls are a great starting point, organizations
must take shared responsibility for security in the cloud. Think of third-party
email protection as the tires of your favorite car — an essential add-on.”  

To improve the tool’s detection rates
even further, Trend Micro has added new capabilities that combine Computer
Vision and Artificial Intelligence technology to “see” fake websites. This
additional technique is applied to suspected phishing emails after filtering
based on sender, content, and URL reputation.

The new capabilities sit alongside
other Trend Micro email security features. These strategic offerings include
AI-powered Writing Style DNA to combat BEC attacks, machine learning-based
detection of suspicious email content, sandbox malware analysis, document
exploit detection, and file, email, and web reputation technologies. Cloud App
Security also leverages the power of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network,
which blocked more than 41 billion email threats in 2018.

For details: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hk/security/research-and-analysis/threat-reports/roundup/advanced-defenses-for-advanced-email-threats

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global
leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging
digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and
governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments,
networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share
threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized
visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than
6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world’s most advanced global
threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their journey
to the cloud. For
more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.hk.