How to secure email communications: 6 tips
Miscellaneous / / June 15, 2022
Protect important information from cyber attacks and ill-wishers.
1. Use secure email services
In the services of Google, Yandex and VKontakte, the content of your emails can be analyzed for targeted advertising. In addition, accounts in these systems attract many intruders. Therefore, it is better to use mailboxes with additional encryption and more attention to security.
So, ProtonMail is a popular email service with end-to-end encryption. Correspondence will not be opened by anyone except you and your addressee. When creating an account, you need to set two passwords: the first is needed to access the account, the other is needed to decrypt the contents of emails. The second password should definitely not be forgotten, otherwise you will lose all your information from the mailbox.
Proton AG
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Proton AG
Price: Free
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Price: Free
Another service - PreVeil Email - can be used in the web version on a separate site, as a mobile application, and also integrated with Gmail, Outlook and other systems. In the latter case, you will work with your usual email client, but in conjunction with the extension, and encrypted messages will be stored in a separate folder. PreVeil does not create a new address for the user - you will need an existing mailbox to exchange letters.
Try PreVeil Email →
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2. Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
Account data from popular services is pulled out quite often. In the worst case, they can get your bank details and steal money from your account. To avoid becoming a victim of scammers and digital thieves, use unique and complex passwords and change them regularly.
For each account it costs create your own separate password. Avoid using familiar dictionary combinations, as well as phrases or numbers that are somehow related to your personal data. To generate and save complex combinations, it is better to use a password manager.
The already familiar two-factor authentication. In addition to the username and password, you will have to constantly enter a one-time code. It can be received through an application on a smartphone or via SMS. The mail app itself should only open after entering this passcode or scanning your fingerprint or Face ID.
3. Use Extensions and Encryption Utilities
After setting up account and mailbox protection, you should focus on encrypting messages. An alternative to a service like ProtonMail would be to bundle an email client with an encryption extension.
Mailvelope is a Chrome extension for Gmail and other email systems that allows you to send encrypted emails. It is enough to compose an e-mail and protect it with a password. The recipient needs to use the same password to decrypt the received message. Encryption is done on the client side, and even extension developers cannot access this information.
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SendSafely is another extension similar to Mailvelope. It provides OpenPGP encryption for Gmail. Without a password, your messages will be just a set of characters that no one can understand.
sendsafely.com
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Enigmail is an add-on for encrypting and decrypting emails inside email clients. Interlink Mail & News and post box. For protection to work when sending messages, encryption must be used by both the sender and the recipient.
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4. Turn on private mode
Gmail Confidential Mode blocks the ability to copy, forward, print, and download your emails. You can also limit their lifetime. The function is activated by clicking on the lock icon at the bottom of the window with a new message. The maximum storage time for a confidential message is five years, the minimum is 24 hours.
Access to the sent letter can be closed earlier than the originally set period. To do this, go to the "Sent" tab, open the letter and click "Deny access".
This method will not protect against hacking and theft. Confidential email can be copied as a screenshot and forwarded to other users. Therefore, messages in this mode are only suitable if you trust the recipient, and the content itself is pre-encrypted.
Apple technology users can use the Mail Privacy Protection email privacy feature in the Mail app. The setting prevents companies and advertisers from tracking how you interact with emails.
IP address user is hidden, senders cannot associate it with your other activities on the Internet and will not determine your location. They also won't be able to check if you've opened the email.
On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings → Mail → Privacy Protection and make sure Mail Activity Protection and Hide IP address are enabled. On a Mac, the same items are available along the path "Mail" → "Preferences" → "Privacy".
It will also be useful to create several mail accounts for different purposes. For example, one for social networks, the second - for correspondence with friends, the third - only for work letters.
5. Avoid phishing and suspicious links
Under the guise of account problems, scammers often ask you to send personal data, credit card information, passwords, and more. Look carefully at the source of the letter, make sure it is authentic. And consider why you are being asked to provide such information. You might be prompted to update your password after a big leak, or you might be intimidated by a hacked account.
If there is a suspicious link in the received email, do not click on it. An exception can only be the moment of registration on some site and a message about the activation of the account. If you receive messages from a bank or any other similar service asking you to pay for something, then it’s better to go to the site not through the link provided, but type the address manually in the search bar browser.
From newsletters about services and offers with discounts on products, also never click on links - you don’t know where they redirect you.
6. Do not connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots
Don't check your email when using a Wi-Fi network in a public place. All wireless connections in such a network can be tracked using analyzer programs. Attackers can process the collected data and find important information in them, such as usernames and their passwords.
Read also📱
- How to protect your credit card from scammers
- How to protect personal data on the Internet
- 9 Ways to Protect Your Cloud Storage
- Sendsecure.ly is a service for sending secret messages securely.
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