Despite the popularity of texting and using social media DM’s to communicate, email will probably never cease to be the form of communication that we think of as more secure, private, and maybe even serious. However, plenty of security breaches can take place over email and it’s important to make sure your email settings are set up so that your messages remain safe from hackers who would love to access your data. “You should always exercise caution while using email to safeguard your privacy, but you don’t have to quit using it altogether,” says IT Security Manager Edward Wright at Cereal Secrets. To reduce the dangers, Wright recommends taking the following steps:
Encrypt your connections
You must encrypt the connection between your computer and your email server if you want to protect your personal information from identity thieves, according to Wright. “This stops eavesdroppers from obtaining private information like usernames and email addresses. (The address of an encrypted website will begin with https:// rather than http://.),” Wright says. Some mail services, like Gmail and Outlook, already automatically encrypt your connection, but others require you to explicitly change your security settings. “Using a VPN is an excellent approach to guarantee that your messages are always encrypted,” Wright adds.
Use a secure email provider
All email providers are not the same. If you aren’t using a secure source, anyone in the relay chain between you and your receiver can access your messages once they arrive at the mail server, Wright warns. “You must use a secure email service like Hushmail, CounterMail, or ProtonMail to encrypt the actual content of your emails in order to resolve this issue,” he says.
Use two-factor authentication
“Anyone attempting to get into your account will be required to verify their identity by entering a temporary passcode that your email provider will send to your phone,” Wright says. “When you receive passcode notifications even though you aren’t attempting to log in, this function also has the benefit of alerting you when someone else is trying to access your account.”
Recognize the TOS of your service provider
How much do you actually know about your service provider? You must first be aware of all the security gaps in your email account before you can patch them, according to Wright. “Read the terms of service for your email provider to learn more,” Wright says. “On its server, does it encrypt messages? Is it protected from brute-force attacks in any way? Does it guarantee the security of your data? Although you might believe that your email provider respects your privacy, there’s a strong chance that it doesn’t. For instance, Google allows outside developers to see your emails.”
Never send emails containing personally identifiable information
No matter how well you know the person on the receiving end of your email, certain personal info should never be shared in this manner. Think twice before sending someone your social security number, banking information, or a scan of your passport, for example. “Avoiding electronic sharing of your sensitive information in the first place is the simplest and most effective strategy to keep it secure,” Wright says. “Instead, speak with the person or business that needs your confidential information in person.”
