Is your email signature putting your business at risk?

Your inbox pings with an urgent email from a trusted contact. Their signature is familiar, the request seems reasonable, and you respond without a second thought. Later, you realise—it wasn’t them. It was a cyber criminal, and you’ve just handed over sensitive information.

Why your email signature could be a security risk

Email signatures are often seen as just a finishing touch, but they can be a cyber criminal’s best friend. Many businesses don’t realise that signatures can be manipulated for phishing, impersonation, and data theft. Let’s break it down and look at what you can do to stay ahead of the risks.

Why cyber criminals love email signatures

Email signatures are designed to make you look professional and trustworthy, but they also hand over a lot of useful information:

• Names, job titles, and contact details – Perfect for impersonation.

• Company logos and branding – Adds credibility to fake emails.

• Links to websites and social media – Potential traps for malicious redirects.

Cyber criminals use this information to craft realistic phishing emails, tricking recipients into clicking harmful links, handing over data, or even making financial transactions they shouldn’t.

What happens if an email signature is spoofed?
If an attacker copies your email signature, they can send fraudulent emails pretending to be you. This could lead to financial fraud, data breaches, or malware infections.

The biggest security risks hiding in your email signature

1. Phishing Attacks – Criminals use familiar-looking email signatures to trick people into sharing sensitive information.

2. Spoofing – Attackers forge email headers and signatures to impersonate trusted contacts, leading to scams and data breaches.

3. Malware & Ransomware – Spoofed email signatures can carry malicious links and attachments that install malware.

4. Data Leakage – The more details in your signature, the more cyber criminals can use against you.

How to secure your email signature

✅ What should you include in your email signature?
Keep it simple. Stick to necessary details (name, job title, and verified company contact information). Avoid listing direct dials and personal emails that can be exploited.

✅ How can you verify links in email signatures?
Check that URLs are legitimate. Cyber criminals love replacing real links with fake ones. Hover over links before clicking to confirm they’re safe.

✅ Why is standardisation important?
When every team member uses the same email signature format, spotting suspicious activity becomes easier. A company-wide template makes a big difference.

✅ How does cyber security training help?
Your team should be trained to spot phishing emails—even those that look ‘normal.’ Education is key to preventing attacks.

✅ Should you use digital signatures?
Yes. A digital signature encrypts your emails, proving authenticity and preventing tampering. It’s an extra layer of protection.

✅ Does using a third-party tool like Exclaimer improve security?
Using a third-party email signature manager like Exclaimer can enhance security by ensuring consistency across your organisation’s signatures and reducing the risk of manipulation. These tools often come with security features such as centralised management, controlled template access, and URL verification to prevent malicious links.

The bottom line

Your email signature might seem like a minor detail, but cyber criminals know how to turn it into a weapon. Securing it is a simple step towards protecting your business from phishing, spoofing, and malware attacks.

Is your business’s email security up to scratch?

We can help. Let’s chat about how to make sure your emails are as secure as the rest of your IT setup.