Guides
Email security guides for cPanel servers
What we learned protecting mail servers, explained step by step: how to secure a cPanel server, keep your emails out of spam, and recognize and stop every type of email attack, from BEC fraud to malware in attachments.
cPanel mail server
Complete guide · cPanel servercPanel email security: the complete guide for server administratorsThe five layers that protect email on a cPanel server, with a 15-minute checklist.ReadGuide · cPanel serverCompromised email account on cPanel: how to find it and stop the spamFind the account or script sending spam, cut it off, clean the queue and close the way in.ReadGuide · cPanel serverBrute force and password spraying against email: how to stop them on cPanelSpot password-guessing attempts in the logs and close the doors they rely on.ReadGuide · Email analysisHow to read email headers and trace where a message came fromWhere to find the headers, what each field means and how to tell where an email was sent from.Read
Authentication and deliverability
Complete guide · DeliverabilityWhy are my emails going to spam, and how to fix it (cPanel)A 5-minute diagnosis and the most common causes, from authentication to domain reputation.ReadGuide · DeliverabilityHow to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC in cPanel, step by stepThe three records explained, how to create them in cPanel and how to take DMARC to p=reject without breaking anything.ReadGuide · DeliverabilityServer IP on a blocklist: how to check and how to get off itWhich list is blocking you, why, and the right order to get off it and stay off.ReadGuide · DeliverabilityPTR, A and MX records: the DNS a mail server needsHostname, PTR, HELO and MX: what has to match so your email doesn't end up in spam.Read
SpamAssassin and cPanel
Guide · SpamAssassinHow to configure SpamAssassin in cPanelTurning it on per account and server-wide, which score to use, and the mistakes that cause the most false positives.ReadGuide · PhishingWhy SpamAssassin doesn't catch targeted phishingFive reasons phishing reaches the inbox even with the filter on, and which signals actually give it away.Read
Fraud and impersonation
Guide · ImpersonationEmail spoofing: how to stop others sending as your domainExact-domain spoofing, display names, lookalike domains and real accounts: how to stop each one.ReadGuide · BEC fraudBEC fraud: what it is and how to protect your company's emailThe fake invoice, the impersonated manager and the compromised vendor: how to recognize them and what to do if it already happened.ReadGuide · Spear phishingSpear phishing: what it is and how to protect your teamPhishing written for one specific person: how it's prepared, how to spot it, and how to stop it.ReadGuide · Conversation hijackingEmail conversation hijacking (thread hijacking)The malicious reply inside a real thread: why it's so convincing and what signs give it away.Read
Phishing and scams
Guide · PhishingTax agency phishing: how to spot fake tax emails and what to doRefunds, debts and invoices "with problems": the most common lures and how to tell them apart.ReadGuide · Credential theftCredential phishing: fake login pages"Your mailbox is full" alerts and fake webmail pages: how to recognize them and what to do if someone fell for it.ReadGuide · QuishingQR code phishing (quishing): how it works and how to avoid itThe link hidden inside an image: why it dodges filters and why it ends up on a phone.ReadGuide · ExtortionExtortion emails: "I have your password" and other threatsThe email that claims to have your password and a video of you: why it's almost always fake, and what to do.Read
Malware and attachments
Guide · HTML smugglingHTML smuggling: HTML attachments that assemble malware when openedMalware that arrives in pieces inside an HTML file and gets assembled in the victim's browser.ReadGuide · MalwareMalicious attachments: email malware and sandbox analysisMacros, password-protected archives and disk images: how malware arrives and how it gets analyzed in a sandbox.Read