National Email Week June 2026: How Safe Is Your Inbox, Really?
Most of us check email before we’ve even had our first cup of coffee. It’s where work happens like approvals, invoices, file shares, quick decisions. For all the talk about Slack and Teams replacing it, email is still the backbone of business communication.
Which is exactly why it’s still the number one way attackers get in.
Phishing Isn’t Going Away — It’s Getting Better
Over 90% of successful cyberattacks start with a phishing email. That’s not a small statistic. And the reason it stays so high isn’t that people are careless, it’s that the emails themselves have gotten genuinely convincing. Password reset requests, overdue invoices, Microsoft security alerts. They look right. They feel right. And when you’re working through a full inbox at speed, that’s often enough.
“We Use Microsoft 365 — Aren’t We Protected?”
Partly, yes. Microsoft 365 includes some genuinely strong security tools: Defender for Office 365, Safe Links and Safe Attachments, spam and phishing filters that learn over time, and multi-factor authentication. If you’re using the platform, you have access to a solid layer of defense.
The catch is that these features need to be properly configured to do their job and many businesses either haven’t set them up fully or don’t realize what they’re missing. Having the tools and having them working aren’t always the same thing.
A Two-Minute Gut Check
In the spirit of National Email Week, here are five questions worth asking yourself today:
- Is MFA turned on for everyone in your organization?
- Do your employees know how to spot and report a suspicious email?
- Are your spam filters actively managed, or running on default settings?
- Do you have a backup plan if email access goes down unexpectedly?
If any of those made you pause, you’re not alone. Most businesses have at least one gap, and they usually don’t know about it until something goes wrong.
National Email Week Checklist: Is Your Inbox Protected?
Take a quick minute to see where your email security stands:
Account Security
☐ Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is enabled for all users
☐ Passwords are strong and not reused across accounts
☐ Former employees no longer have access to email systems
Microsoft 365 Protection
☐ Microsoft Defender/Email Security for Office 365 is enabled
☐ Safe Links and Safe Attachments are active
☐ Spam and phishing filters are properly configured
User Awareness
☐ Employees know how to recognize suspicious emails
☐ Your team knows how to report phishing in Outlook
☐ Security awareness training is done regularly
Everyday Email Habits
☐ Suspicious attachments are never opened without verification
☐ Urgent or unexpected requests are double-checked
☐ Emails are organized to reduce clutter and missed details
Backup & Response
☐ Email data is backed up or easily recoverable
☐ There’s a plan if an account is compromised
☐ Access can be quickly reset if needed
If you checked every box—great, you’re in a strong position.
If not, no stress. Most businesses have a few gaps, especially as teams grow and technology evolves.
The important part is knowing where you stand and taking a few steps to improve.
National Email Week is a good reminder that your inbox isn’t just a communication tool, it’s a critical part of how your business operates.
If you ran through this checklist and aren’t 100% sure where things stand, it’s normal and you can work with your IT to check each one.
BEI can help you take a closer look without overcomplicating things.
If you are not on Microsoft, let’s review your email setup, identify any gaps, and give you clear, practical recommendations to strengthen your security.
