GoDaddy “Advanced Email Security” Service Proofpoint Had Vulnerabilities Exploited
Email security is only as good as your spam filter—or is it? In not-so-well-published tech news, Proofpoint (GoDaddy’s email security provider) recently suffered a major vulnerability issue that allowed backdoor access to run phishing campaigns from legitimate companies, brands, and domains. Welcome to the wild west, a world without a trusted email security service provider like FocusConnect.
Understanding Application Vulnerability
Application vulnerability occurs when software code is manipulated with malicious intent by criminal organizations, allowing access to computers, email, and servers by exploiting programs you trust and already use. Software developers continue to struggle to stay ahead of feature development while addressing security holes.
A Real-World Example: Kaspersky Anti-Virus Solution Banned
As a quick example, Kaspersky was once a major, trusted antivirus program that people installed on their computers for protection. As of summer 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a ban on the sale of this software in the U.S. due to its posed threat against national security, which presented an unacceptable level of risk.
Case Study: Proofpoint and the GoDaddy Security Challenge
The focus of today’s blog is the struggle Proofpoint faced a couple of months ago in addressing a security challenge. Proofpoint serves as the advanced security layer protecting GoDaddy’s email security service customers and has been a well-respected name in the email security industry for years. GoDaddy is famous as a domain registrar, making it easy for new companies to acquire a URL and set up web hosting services. Eventually, they branched into low-hanging fruit by selling email and email security to existing clients.
The Vulnerability: Email Spoofing
Underneath the hood, it’s Proofpoint that is white-labeled, making it important to understand the security implications and weigh the level of risk you may have been exposed to. We’re not talking about internal phishing testing for employees like our company offers. The vulnerability allowed real hackers to spoof the actual email domains of trusted companies to send out malicious emails.
A “spoof” occurs when you receive an email that appears to be from a sender you already trust. It is nearly impossible to identify spoofing without a robust email security service. An effective security solution must be more advanced than what Microsoft O365 and G Suite offer out of the box. If the emails look 100% legitimate, people are more likely to be fooled by the scam, as it circumvents the security measures that might alert users to its suspicious nature.
The Response from Proofpoint: Patches and Mitigation Again
Proofpoint has issued patches to mitigate the exploitation of this vulnerability. What took place highlights the constantly evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Organizations must always consider the level of risk they are exposed to and ensure they carry cybersecurity insurance to help manage that risk.
Need A More Secure Email Security Service? Contact Us Today
It may be time for your company to look at alternative options for email administration outside of GoDaddy. Strong cybersecurity safeguards are more important than ever given the current flaws in GoDaddy’s “Advanced Email Security” service and others. Even the large, reputable security companies occasionally encounter difficult situations that expose their customers to dangers like email spoofing. To protect your company, you need a trusted managed service provider like FocusConnect that comprehends the nature of application vulnerabilities and the consequences of depending on software that only gives the illusion of being reliable.
If you have concerns about your current email security or wish to evaluate your overall cybersecurity strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out.