Emails are still one of the most common gateways for cyber attacks. Phishing, social engineering and business email compromise (BEC) cause billions in losses every year – and traditional spam filters are no longer sufficient. Artificial intelligence (AI) is making decisive progress here: it not only recognizes spam, but also understands the context and can identify targeted attempts at deception at an early stage.

The new challenges in email security

• Phishing is becoming increasingly sophisticated: attackers imitate the language, design and behavior of genuine senders.
• BEC attacks target people: Deceptively genuine emails from “superiors” or “partners” requesting a bank transfer or data release.
• Classic filters fail: rule-based systems often only recognize known patterns – but not new, targeted attacks.

How AI improves email security

1. language analysis & contextual understanding

AI analyzes not only the sender and attachments, but also the content: Is the language unusual? Does the tone match the usual communication style?

2. behavior-based detection

If an employee suddenly receives payment instructions that do not belong to their area of responsibility, the AI sounds the alarm – even if the email is technically “clean”.

3. learning ability

AI systems continuously learn from new attacks and dynamically adapt their detection mechanisms – without a manual set of rules.

4. integration into existing systems

Modern AI solutions can be integrated into common email platforms and usefully supplement existing security measures.

Practical examples

• AI-supported phishing detection: Systems such as Microsoft Defender or Proofpoint use AI to detect suspicious content – even in zero-day attacks.
• BEC protection through anomaly detection: AI recognizes when a CEO suddenly requests a transfer from a new device or location.
• Automated response: Suspicious emails are automatically isolated, marked or forwarded for manual checking.

Conclusion: More than just a spam filter

AI takes email security to a new level. It not only recognizes what is technically suspicious, but also what is humanly inappropriate – and thus protects against the most dangerous attacks of our time.

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