Inbox Defender: A User's Guide
Inside Upfort Shield's state-of-the-art email security layer that delivers enterprise-grade cyber defense to organizations of any size.
Table of Contents
Email is a crucial communication channel for business. Cybercriminals take advantage of email’s centrality in pursuit of profit and/or chaos. Modern criminals tap increasingly sophisticated tactics using increasingly powerful tools to achieve these aims.
When protecting your organization, you need a security platform capable of detecting criminal activities and warning your team of potential danger before it’s too late.
Inbox Defender is a proven AI-powered email security layer that alerts users in real-time to a variety of incoming email threats including:
- Malware & ransomware
- Phishing & social engineering attacks
- Attempted financial fraud
- Malicious links
- Spoofed or corrupted email accounts of trusted users
- Other evolving and emerging cyber attacks
Inbox Defender is included as part of Upfort Shield and can be easily implemented and managed for your entire organization directly in the Admin Dashboard.
If your organization is already using Inbox Defender, be sure to update to the latest version with all the latest features. (Click here to learn how to get updated.)
What does Inbox Defender do?
Inbox Defender is a state-of-the-art email protection layer that delivers enterprise-grade defenses to organizations of all sizes. The latest version of Inbox Defender can be set up on the API side to ensure that every employee and every device is protected on day one.
Inbox Defender uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) to identify linguistic patterns in emails that may signal malicious intent (e.g., language not typically associated with that contact or urgent requests for payment) and flag users to potential dangers.
Additionally, the application is informed by Upfort Shields’s consolidated intelligence database, which houses various forms of information including:
- A continually updated domain reputation powered by global cyber claim data, AI-powered IP scans, and other sources
- Bank & cryptocurrency accounts associated with ransomware and other financial fraud attacks
- Anonymized web and inbox activity (e.g., hashed sender & recipient info and AI-powered analysis of email behaviors) to identify malicious activity
Inbox Co-Pilot
Inbox Defender automatically scans every incoming message and flags potential threats in real time to alert users so they make an informed decision in handling the email. There are two types of warnings that users may encounter when using Inbox Defender:
These emails are marked with an orange notification at the top of the email. They mean that Inbox Defender scanned the email and detected:
- A new or unknown sender
- Misaligned sender and email address (i.e., a known sender using an unknown email address, which may signal impersonation)
- Requests for payment
Messages with these flags may be completely valid communications, however, users should apply additional layers of scrutiny. This may involve asking themselves questions (e.g., “Do I know this sender?” “Do they have a reason to request payment?”) and applying additional steps (i.e., following up for more information with the sender over the phone (not by email) or asking internal stakeholders for validation on the nature of the request.)
These emails are marked with a red notification at the top of the email. They mean that Inbox Defender scanned the email and detected:
- Potential malicious behavior/content
- Known malicious links
- Known malicious data in the metadata
Users should apply the highest level of caution and scrutiny to these emails. Do not click on any links or download any attachments unless you confirm through a means aside from communication with the sender, that the message is indeed valid.
Mobile alerts*
In addition to flagging potentially malicious emails for all users on desktop, Inbox Defender Gold subscribers receive flags on their business emails received on mobile devices as well.
* Exclusive to Inbox Defender Gold
Financial fraud protections
Inbox Defender automatically checks for links and/or information related to known criminal banking accounts. The system will flag all users if they detected in an email, and will flag Inbox Defender Gold users if they are detected in an attachment.
Link Security
All links within emails are automatically checked against Upfort’s threat intelligence database, which is continually updated with global cybercrime data. The platform will alert users if links are associated with malicious content (e.g. ransomware, phishing campaigns, or financial fraud).
Sandboxed protections
Links are “sandboxed” by Upfort before they are presented to you, i.e. links are “opened” in a secure environment to determine whether they are safe or not. When a user attempts to navigate to a known malicious website, they are warned that the link is known to be malicious (and why) and verify if they wish to continue. Even better, when links are in the sandbox, users can be protected from malicious sites if they are later to be found associated with malicious sites or criminal banking accounts.
Sender verification
Inbox Defender checks all sender information against DMARC, DKIM, and SPF settings which can be used to verify a sender is who they say they are. In addition, the platform leverages encrypted historical communication records to identify telltale signs of potential fraud, such as unusual phrasing or email addresses that differ from a contact's previous interactions.
In addition, Inbox Defender checks the sender’s email and domain against a list of malicious ones in Upfort’s consolidated intelligence database.
Deep Attachment Scanning*
In addition to scanning the body of each incoming message for malicious links, malware, and phishing schemes, Defender now intelligently extracts and processes content in attachments—even images and scanned documents
* Exclusive to Inbox Defender Gold
How do I implement Inbox Defender at my company?
Before enacting Inbox Defender, you’ll have to get your organization activated.
- Head over to the Activation Login
- Enter your cyber policy number (if you don’t have this, reach out to your carrier)
- Follow the step-by-step instructions
Update to the latest version of Inbox Defender
If you are the admin for Inbox Defender make sure you are using the latest version of Inbox Defender
- Head over to your Admin Dashboard
- Click on the Inbox Defender icon in the left-hand rail
- Click the “Setup Inbox Defender” button to get started
- Follow the step-by-step directions
- You’ll also have the option to sign up for a free trial of Inbox Defender Gold
What is Inbox Defender Gold?
Inbox Defender is included with every instance of Upfort Shield, but for additional protection, businesses can sign up for the premium Inbox Defender Gold. With Gold, your business has all the protections of Inbox Defender plus:
- Expanded mobile defense: Employees of Gold-subscribed businesses receive inbox alerts about potentially dangerous links on mobile as well as desktop. No additional downloads or set-up needed—all users upgraded at once and are always protected “on the go.”
- Advanced antivirus protection: With Inbox Defender Gold, every attachment in every email is scanned for viruses, malware, ransomware, and other malicious software.
- Deep attachment scans: Advanced AI extracts links and language in attachments including scanned documents and images (an increasingly common—and damaging—attack trend.)
Inbox Defender Gold is available to all Shield users for $2/user/month. Click here to learn more about Gold.
FAQs
Does Inbox Defender really work?
Inbox Defender has been repeatedly validated by independent third-party security researchers. A major cyber insurance provider commissioned a study comparing the outcomes of companies using Inbox Defender against those who didn’t. The study found that businesses using Inbox Defender experienced:
- 19% fewer cyber incidents
- 53% fewer funds transfer fraud claims
- Zero instances of ransomware
The same study that for companies fully implemented with all Upfort Shield offerings (Cyber University, Browser Firewall, Guardian, etc) experienced even better results:
- 81% fewer cyber claims
- zero funds transfer fraud
- zero ransomware
How do I know if I’m on the most up-to-date version of Inbox Defender?
If you’re still utilizing the Inbox Defender via the Browser Firewall, you can update! The newest version of Inbox Defender has new sleek banners for alerts on your email. If you're not seeing these new banners you are welcome to confirm with the Support team if you are on the newest version. Your administrator will be able to set up the newest Inbox Defender for you.
How do I update to Inbox Defender Gold?
When you upgrade to the latest version of Inbox Defender, you’ll have the option to sign up for a free 60-day trial of Inbox Defender Gold. When you’re ready to sign up on an ongoing basis, click the button below and sign up for $2/user/month.