Cybersecurity Measures for Small Businesses

Stop DESTROYING your company’s email domains!!! Email deliverability is a topic that continues to come up non stop… Here’s the thing all outbound teams need to understand about deliverability: Email deliverability is a “death by a thousands paper cuts” type of situation. Stop stacking paper cuts and do these 8 things: 1. Set up secondary domains If you are still cold emailing off your primary email domain you may be in big trouble. This is crucial. Using something like Maildoso makes getting these domains and the whole technical setup super fast. The last thing you want, especially if you don’t have a reputable domain like Salesforce(.)com is to burn your orgs primary domain. This doesn’t just affect your sales team. You don’t need your CS and CEO landing in SPAM. 2. Set up your DNS (DMARC, SPF & DKIM) records for ALL of your domains. To skip the manual DNS headache... Maildoso automate this setup. I set up 2 new domains in literally 1 minute. Right now we can only set up 2 mailboxes per rep in Outreach. Going to be adding a Smarted integration soon in Common Room to run higher volume experiments based on various intent signals and double down on the ones that work with human SDRs. 3. Secondary domains should link to your primary. You want to make sure your prospects are being directed to your actual company domain if they are curious and click. 4. Email Warmup - Domains should be “warmed up” for ~14 days before cold emailing. Send at least 20-30 warm up emails per day per email account, with a 40% reply rate. This builds your domain reputation. 5.  Email Volume - Build this over time. Start with 5-10 emails a day per account and do NOT send more than 30 emails per day per email account. 6. Traditionally I would have said to keep your email signature plain text. No Links. No images. No calendar links…at all. BUT Maildoso just dropped something SICK. They rebuilt Custom Domain Tracking from the ground up to make it bypass spam filters. You can now add links/images etc. Also, add your address in your signature and make sure you put a picture in your Outlook or Gmail profile. 7. Vary your cold email copy (i.e. SPINTAX). Sending the same template to every prospect signals that you are a spammer. Customize your first step email. For emails further in your sequence, use Spintax. Use alternate phrases “Hi, Hey, Hello”. New age sequencers do this automatically. 8. Understand that your domain gets TORCHED when people mark your email as spam.  Good and relevant copy matter. 9. Constantly monitor your email deliverability. Deliverability varies across Outlook and Google servers. Get a platform that helps you land in ALL inboxes. Again, Maildoso makes this super easy...  they have daily reputation monitoring built right in so you catch issues fast. They average 98%+ inbox placement - wild. Maintaining good deliverability over time is key in the success of outbound. What would the email deliverability experts add here?

CA firms get hacked when they think they’re too small to matter. One cyberattack. 7 days. 90% revenue gone. This happened to a CA firm in Delhi, just like yours. Small team. Trusted clients. 12+ years of credibility. Gone in one week. Here’s what really happened: → One team member clicked a fake email link → Their client data got stolen → PANs, GST details, audit files - all exposed on the dark web → Clients panicked and pulled out overnight → Word spread. Trust shattered. → Regulators stepped in. Fines followed. No one cared how good their service was. They only saw one thing: “They didn’t protect our data.” What most CA founders forget? → You don’t need a big team to get hacked → You don’t need to be famous to be targeted → You don’t need to lose data to lose your business - just the trust Your data is your brand. If it leaks, your reputation goes with it. How to protect your firm, starting today: ✅ Train your team to spot phishing emails ✅ Use strong passwords + 2FA for all logins ✅ Backup all files to a secure cloud ✅ Don’t share files via public links ✅ Invest in basic cyber insurance -it can cover legal + PR + recovery costs ✅ Run regular cyber audits -just like a financial audit It’s not about “if” you’ll be targeted. It’s about “when.” Hi , I'm Krishan Pal (PMP), a cyber insurtech founder and coach & helping CA firms, lawyers, and small professional teams stay safe - without needing an IT background. If you're a CA firm founder and want a simple cyber protection checklist, 👉 Comment “SECURE” and I’ll DM it to you. ♻️ Repost this to help one more CA firm avoid disaster. 🔔 Follow Krishan Pal (PMP) for more simple, no-jargon tips on staying safe in the digital world.

Many individuals believe they are immune to cyber attacks because they believe they have nothing to hide or are not affiliated with a large corporation. Dismissing these notions is crucial, as cybersecurity threats can target anyone, regardless of their perceived insignificance. While enjoying a dinner of freshly-caught fish in Greece, I received a concerning call from a friend, a small business owner in New York. He had fallen victim to a sophisticated email scam targeting his VP of finance. The scam involved a unique method of requesting money transfers, utilizing coded language known only to the sender and recipient. The cybercriminals hacked the owner’s email, meticulously studied the owner's email history, deciphered his communication patterns, and successfully replicated a fraudulent $500k money transfer request. Their attention to detail and patience in understanding the business's operations enabled them to almost execute the deceit seamlessly. The authenticity of the fraudulent request was so convincing that it raised suspicions of an inside job rather than an external threat. Fortunately, the VP of finance's intuition prompted him to verify the transaction with the owner over the phone, ultimately unveiling the scam and initiating a thorough investigation. Although the hackers' initial attempt was thwarted, they managed to access sensitive bank information and passwords stored in a supposedly secure password manager. The incident underscored the importance of constant vigilance and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to prevent future breaches. This story serves as a stark reminder that cybersecurity threats are pervasive and can go unnoticed until it’s too late. One cannot simply assume to have not been hacked.

There's a critical risk in Microsoft DMARC aggregate reports - they explicitly disclose the Envelope To domain, essentially exposing the organizations your emails are being delivered to. For enterprise companies, this presents a serious insider threat. Anyone with access to these reports can map communication patterns and exploit them for malicious purposes. For smaller companies, especially those operating in the legal, healthcare, financial, etc industries, the risk is even higher. Exposing recipient domains through DMARC reports can reveal confidential partnerships, clients, vendors, etc. If an attacker gains access to these reports, they could launch spear phishing campaigns against the organizations listed in the DMARC reports - the attacker can exploit communication history and established trust to spoof the company's domain more convincingly. This kind of exposure is exactly why most providers stopped supporting the RUF tag, and #Microsoft approach undermines this progress by disclosing recipient domains in aggregate reports with no real reason for it. #DMARC should make things safer, not leak sensitive info. But when big players don’t follow best practices, they put everyone at risk. #CyberSecurity #EmalSecurity #Phishing

New Strategies For Keeping Your Emails Out of Spam 👇 You might be making amazing emails. But if no one sees them, they won’t drive revenue. Step 1: Your Domain Has a Credit Score (And You Probably Don’t Know What It Is) Inbox providers like Google and Yahoo assign a kind of “credit score” to your domain based on how people interact with your emails. Open rates, clicks, replies = build a good credit score → inbox. No engagement, high bounce/spam complaints = bad credit score → spam folder. Use GlockApps to check yours (not a sponsor I just like them). They’ll give you test email addresses, you send a campaign, and they’ll show you exactly where you’re landing (Inbox vs Promotions vs Spam). Goal: You want 75%+ inbox placement. Step 2: Set Up Your Technicals (Takes 5 Minutes) This is non-negotiable. Missing this = guaranteed spam. Make sure the following records are correctly set up: SPF DKIM DMARC If you're using Klaviyo, this is pretty painless and most of it is automated. You just need to manually add a DMARC record (Klaviyo has an article in this if you look it up). Once it's done, it's done forever. Step 3: Warm Up Your Domain (Even If You’ve Been Sending for Years) Think of warming up your domain like building trust with inbox providers. You wouldn’t apply for a $100k loan with zero credit history. Same thing here. If you’re switching domains or have low open rates, treat your list like it’s fresh: Example Warm-Up Cadence: Start with 250 contacts. Then 250 → 500 → 1000 → 2000 Send unique campaigns every other day. Monitor open rates and only scale when engagement stays strong. Even with a massive list, you can get to full sends within 1 month. Step 4: Send Consistently! In 2025, going silent for weeks and blasting your full list out of nowhere is a huge red flag. Set a minimum cadence of 2 emails per week, even if it’s just a simple text-based update. This keeps your domain “active” and builds positive sending history over time. Step 5: Engagement Is Necessary Open rates, clicks, and replies tell inbox providers, “Hey, people actually want this.” Shoot for: 50%+ open rates 0.5%+ click rates <0.1% spam complaint rate Pro tip: If you’re not hitting those numbers, STOP sending to everyone. Instead, build a 30-day engaged segment (people who opened/clicked in the last 30 days) and only send to them. Once you’re consistently hitting 50%+ open rates, expand to 60, 90, 120-day segments. Bonus: Simple Emails = Higher Engagement Fancy designs are cool. But inbox providers love engagement, not aesthetics. Mix in text-based founder emails. Keep buttons clear. Add PS sections. Make it feel personal. It’s not just better for engagement, it builds trust and makes people want to open the next one.

🔥NEW in Exchange Online: Total Control Over Direct Send!✉️🔒 📢 Big news from the Microsoft Exchange Team! Microsoft has just rolled out new controls for Direct Send in Exchange Online, and this update is a game-changer for email security, deliverability, and admin visibility.🎯 🔍What’s Changing? Until now, Direct Send—where devices or applications send emails via Exchange Online without authentication—was largely a black box for admins. Think of scanners, printers, monitoring systems, or third-party tools that fire email alerts without logging in. 🎯Previously, these messages bypassed several layers of policy enforcement and auditing. While convenient, this method often created security blind spots and troubleshooting headaches. 💡What’s New: Microsoft is flipping the script by giving admins granular control and visibility over Direct Send behavior: ✅Tenant-wide Switch: You can now explicitly control whether Direct Send is allowed at all. ✅IP Address Safelisting: Specify only approved IPs that can use Direct Send, tightening security. ✅Headers & Traceability: New custom headers (X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous) make Direct Send messages identifiable in message traces. ✅Mail Flow Enforcement: These messages now respect Exchange transport rules, journaling, and more. 🔐Why This Matters: Security and compliance are top of mind for every IT admin today. Uncontrolled Direct Send: ⚠️Can be abused for spoofing/internal phishing ⚠️Escapes logging and compliance checks ⚠️Makes troubleshooting a nightmare 📍With these new controls, Exchange Online aligns better with Zero Trust principles, giving you more confidence in your organization's mail hygiene. 🧠 My Take: This isn’t just a backend tweak—it’s a strategic leap forward for modern email governance. It helps organizations: ✔️Harden their environments against misuse ✔️Improve mail flow diagnostics ✔️Meet compliance & auditing standards 📌Microsoft is listening to the needs of enterprise IT and continuing to bridge security with usability. 🔧 Action for Admins: Start planning to review and update: 1️⃣Your mail flow configurations 2️⃣Devices/services using Direct Send 3️⃣IP ranges to whitelist (if needed) 4️⃣Transport rules that might now apply 🔗Learn More: Official Microsoft Announcement: https://lnkd.in/gjmyJNw9 📌 Let’s make our Exchange environments safer, smarter, and more manageable—one feature at a time. 💼✨ #Microsoft365 #ExchangeOnline #EmailSecurity #ZeroTrust #SysAdmin #CloudSecurity #ITPros #MicrosoftExchange #DirectSend #TechUpdate #EmailInfrastructure #ComplianceReady

Emails going to Spam? Here’s how to fix it If your email open rates are below 25%, your emails are consistently getting filtered into spam and email providers don’t trust you. But here’s the good news: you can fix it. *The 4-Step Framework to Diagnose & Fix Email Deliverability Issues* → Step 1: Check your Sender Reputation Your sender reputation is like your credit score. It determines how trustworthy your emails appear to inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook. ▸ Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools or SenderScore to check your email reputation. ▸ If your reputation is low, it’s often due to high bounce rates, low engagement, or spam complaints. How to Fix it: Clean your email list regularly. Remove inactive subscribers who haven’t engaged in 90+ days and AVOID sending to purchased lists. → Step 2: Authenticate Your Emails Email providers block or filter out emails that seem suspicious. Authentication proves your emails are legitimate. ▸ SPF: Confirms your email is coming from an authorized sender (also blocks UV rays). ▸ DKIM: Ensures the email hasn’t been altered after being sent. ▸ DMARC: Prevents phishing attacks using your domain. How to Fix it: Ask your email provider or IT team to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Without them, your emails will always be at risk. → Step 3: Optimize your Email Content to avoid Spam Triggers Spam filters scan for certain words, formats, and practices that make emails look untrustworthy. ▸ Avoid excessive capitalization and punctuation (🔥 LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!). ▸ Use a branded sender name instead of a generic one (“Ryan from [Dispensary Name]” instead of “info@[dispensary].com”). How to Fix it: Keep your emails natural, balanced, and engaging. If an email looks or feels spammy, it probably is. → Step 4: Improve Engagement Metrics Email providers prioritize senders who get high engagement (opens and clicks) and penalize those who get ignored. ▸ Start with engaged customers. Send emails to your most active list segment first before emailing everyone else. ▸ Monitor your open rates. If it’s consistently under 25%, your emails are likely being flagged. How to Fix it: Segment your audience, remove unengaged contacts, and write subject lines that actually make people want to open. → Test It: Want to see if you have a problem? Send a test email to multiple inbox types (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) and check where it lands. It can take 3-4 weeks to go from a low reputation to medium in Google Postmaster, so be patient. If more people get your emails in their main inbox it will lead to 💵 💵 💵 If you’re seeing issues, or just want to guarantee your emails reach more customers—we can help. Tact Firm specializes in cannabis email marketing that actually gets delivered. Let’s fix this together.

If you aren't doing these things, you're eviscerating your email delivery rates... 1. Authenticate Your Emails: Implement SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to authenticate your emails. Get to know Google Postmaster Tools. 2. Clean Your Email List Regularly: Remove inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses. A clean list reduces bounce rates and improves your sender reputation. 3. Segment Your Audience: Send targeted emails to specific segments of your audience. Personalization increases engagement, which signals to ISPs that your emails are valuable. 4. Craft Engaging Subject Lines: Create compelling and relevant subject lines to improve open rates. Avoid using spam trigger words like “free,” “buy now,” or “guarantee.” 5. Use a Reputable Email Service Provider (ESP): Choose an ESP with a good reputation for delivering emails and strong anti-spam measures. They can help ensure your emails are properly configured and compliant with regulations. 6. Optimize Email Content: Keep your emails concise, relevant, and visually appealing. Use a mix of text and images, and ensure your emails are mobile-friendly. Personalized video goes a long way. 7. Include a Clear Unsubscribe Option: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe if they no longer wish to receive your emails. This helps maintain a positive sender reputation and reduces spam complaints. 8. Monitor Your Email Metrics: Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. Use this data to refine your strategy and improve future email campaigns. 9. Warm Up Your IP Address: If you’re starting with a new IP address, gradually increase your email sending volume. This helps build a positive sender reputation with ISPs. 10. Avoid Using URL Shorteners: URL shorteners can be associated with spam. Use full URLs or branded links to maintain trust and avoid triggering spam filters. 11. Ask for Whitelisting: Encourage your subscribers to add your email address to their contact list or whitelist. This ensures your emails land in their inboxes. 12. Check Your Email’s Spam Score: Use tools to analyze your email content for spammy elements before sending. This helps you identify and rectify potential issues that could land your email in the spam folder. By following these simple tricks, you can significantly improve your email delivery rates, ensuring your messages reach your audience effectively and boost your overall email marketing success. Feel free to share any additional tips or experiences in the comments!

🚨 Major Update for Sales Teams: HubSpot Introduces Native Email Send Throttling! 🚨 If you've been in the trenches with sequences and cold email outreach like I have, you know that maintaining a high email deliverability rate is everything. Well, HubSpot just dropped a feature that could make our lives a whole lot easier. ❓ What's New? Admins can now control the number of emails users can send per minute through a HubSpot-connected account. Yep, you read that right—native email send throttling is here! ❗ Why This Matters Protecting your email reputation isn't just a nice-to-have; it's essential for successful outreach. Here's how this update helps: → Boosts Deliverability: Aligns your email sending pace with provider limits, keeping you out of spam folders. → Prevents Spam Behavior: Especially when using automation tools like templates and sequences, this ensures you're not overwhelming inboxes. → Enhances Communication Quality: Allows your team to focus on personalized outreach without worrying about sending too many emails too quickly. ⚙️ How to Use It Adjust Email Frequency: → Navigate to Settings > Objects > Activities in HubSpot. → Click on the Email Frequency Controls tab. → Under Maximum sends per minute, set your desired limit (up to 10 emails per minute). → Hit Save. Note: Sequences have their own cap of 3 emails per minute. If your set limit is lower, sequences will adhere to your lower limit. If higher, sequences still max out at 3 emails per minute. 💡 What's Not Affected? → This limit only applies to connected personal emails. → Team emails sent through Conversations aren't impacted. 👥 Available to users on Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise plans. This is a big win for those who rely on cold outreach within HubSpot. By controlling email send rates, you can protect your email reputation. It's not about sending more emails—it's about getting responses. #HubSpot #HubSpotTipsAndTricks #sales