What action should be taken when an external email is suspected of spoofing?

When an external email is suspected of spoofing, applying anti-spoofing measures is the most appropriate action because it involves implementing protective technologies or policies that can help identify and block fraudulent emails designed to appear as if they are coming from legitimate sources.

Anti-spoofing measures typically include techniques such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC). These protocols work together to verify the authenticity of the sender's email domain, enhancing the security posture against phishing and impersonation attacks. By applying these measures, organizations can significantly reduce the risk associated with spoofed emails, protecting users from potential threats such as data breaches or malicious software.

While reporting the spoofed email is a valid step which could help in raising awareness and possibly improving security policies, it does not provide immediate protection to the organization’s email systems. Deleting the email might prevent immediate exposure, but it does not address the underlying spoofing issue or help strengthen defenses against future occurrences. Ignoring the email could leave systems vulnerable to compromise, as the spoofing may not be detected or mitigated. Therefore, taking proactive steps such as implementing anti-spoofing measures is the most