Email security is all about using a variety of tactics and tools to filter and identify potential attacks. Without this type of protection, your email messages are exposed to hackers in many different ways. While the best option for anyone when it comes to securing your email is to use a real system security company, there are things you can do right now to make your email more secure.
1. Make sure your password is unique – Email Security
When it comes to creating multiple accounts, it’s always best to use unique passwords for each one. This should apply regardless of the importance you attach to each email account you create.
Using the same password for every account you create is a mistake made by most beginners. This is because if someone had hacked your account and found all your personal emails, Facebook notifications, etc., it is more than likely that they would test the same username and password on other email services.
I know it should be stupid, but actually it’s still a fairly common mistake. I can even say that I did it once, using the same password for all my accounts. Though no one has ever been able to guess it so I never experienced what I was able to experience.
2. Protect your outgoing emails – Email Security
When you send an email to a client, the path the email follows will be different as it traverses different servers before reaching its destination. While traveling, anyone with the necessary knowledge can intercept this email and read its content, even if the sender is unaware that the information has been compromised.
There are several things you can do to protect your e-mails from these spies. One of the most common methods is to use TLS encryption. With TLS, you get an extra layer of email protection that prevents hackers from reading compromised content if it is compromised. If you do not enable TLS, or if the server through which your emails are sent does not support it, your communication will continue unsecured.
In general, you want to protect attachments in emails with a password, which can done with zip files, for example. This will ensure that only the person you want to read / see the attachment can read / see it.
3. Make regular backups of your data – Email Security
One of the most responsible things you can do on your computer is to back up your data regularly.
The number of ransomware attacks is increasing every day because of how much has happened. Once one of these viruses gets onto your system, it will immediately start scanning and encoding your files. When important files are encrypted, the virus will notify the user, requesting payment for the key to decrypt them.
These attacks are undoubtedly one of the worst types of attacks you can fall victim to, leaving your system almost useless. After encrypting your files, you have two options which are either to pay the money or to lose all data on the system.
However, if you regularly back up your files, you can sure that all your files will protected against such an attack. In case your files are encrypted by ransomware virus, you can simply get them back using backups.
4. Avoid phishing scams – Email Security
When working with a specific product or company that requires account details to entered. You must have seen a message that reads something like this: “Don’t give out your personal information and we’ll never ask you for your password.” This way, you know that if someone asks you for your personal details in an email, it’s a trick.
However, there are levels of this type of scam, the highest being phishing. It basically works by hackers creating fake versions of high-profile websites like Facebook, PayPal, Amazon. Likewise, then stating in those emails that something is wrong with your account to fix the problem. The end user only needs to enter their username and password on one of these fake websites for verification. In most cases, the email will contain a link to a bogus website that looks very genuine.
Therefore, you should be very careful with such requests. The companies will never ask you for your personal information and in most cases they will ask you to go to the site yourself, not via a link provided in the email.
5. Do not open unwanted attachments – Email Security
When it comes to attachments, it can be very hard to think about. If a friend or family member has emailed you saying it will contain something you and in an unsolicited e-mail, never open it. Even if the file looks legitimate because there’s a good chance it isn’t. It very easy to hide files behind something legal like a JPEG file disguised as an EXE file that will be run when downloaded to your system. Leaving you with a virus that you have to deal with.
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