Email is one of the most widely used and convenient forms of communication, but it also comes with some risks and challenges. How can you protect your privacy, security, and reputation when sending and receiving emails? Here are some of the best email privacy practices to follow.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to secure your email account is to use a strong and unique password. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long, include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoid common words or phrases. A unique password means that you don't use the same password for any other account or service. This way, if one of your passwords is compromised, the rest of your accounts are still safe.
Regularly Review App Permissions If you use email apps on mobile devices, review the permissions granted to these apps regularly. Some apps may request access to unnecessary data or features that could compromise your privacy. Restrict permissions to essential functions only
A unique password also avoids the use of easily guessable information such as birthdates or common words. Turn on 2FA whenever possible. By requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password, this offers an extra degree of security.
Ensuring that your passwords include various interchanging symbols, numbers, and letters can be a very effective means to front-line security of your email. Never have your password include words that are easily guessable based on your personal or work life. Never use the same password for multiple log-ins and routinely change your password at least twice a year, or immediately after being notified that an unrecognized log-in was attempted. If possible, always set up Two-Factor Authentication on top of this. Your privacy is important, and your company’s privacy and security is as well!
1. Never share your password. 2.Have two way authentication in place. 3. Do not follow links from unknown emails. 4. Log out of your email if logged into using public computer. 5. When changing your password, always ensure that it has uppercase, lower case, number and character. No family names or date of birth. 6. Do not write your email password on travel your diary. Incase you loose belongings and it ends up in wrong hands.
Yes, this way it protects indeed and also keep changing the password as frequently as possible. Everytime try entering an unique password.
Encryption is a process that scrambles your email content so that only the intended recipient can read it. Encryption can protect your emails from hackers, snoops, and third parties who might intercept or access your messages. There are different ways to encrypt your emails, depending on your email provider and software. Some email services, such as ProtonMail and Tutanota, offer end-to-end encryption by default, which means that no one can decrypt your emails except you and your recipient. Other email services, such as Gmail and Outlook, support encryption through plugins or add-ons, such as Mailvelope or FlowCrypt, which allow you to encrypt and decrypt your emails with a password or a key.
Using end-to-end encryption tools like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) or S/MIME, in my experience, makes sure that only the intended recipient can decrypt and read what you send. Maintaining the most recent security updates on your operating system and email client is crucial for defending against known vulnerabilities.
Phishing and spam are malicious emails that try to trick you into revealing your personal or financial information, clicking on harmful links, or downloading malware. Phishing and spam emails can look very convincing, mimicking the appearance and tone of legitimate senders, such as banks, online retailers, or government agencies. To avoid falling for phishing and spam emails, you should always check the sender's address, the subject line, and the content for any signs of fraud, such as misspellings, grammar errors, or urgent requests. You should also never open attachments or click on links from unknown or suspicious sources, and report or delete any suspicious emails as soon as possible.
To ensure consistent adherence to privacy policies, educate yourself and colleagues on email security best practices. Use secure email apps that follow strong security procedures and have a track record of safeguarding user information. For online registrations or services that could result in spam, take into account using disposable email addresses. Your primary email address will remain confidential thanks to this.
Another important aspect of email privacy is to choose your recipients carefully and avoid sending sensitive or confidential information to the wrong people. Before you hit send, you should always double-check the To, Cc, and Bcc fields to make sure you have the correct and intended recipients. You should also be careful when using the Reply All or Forward functions, as they can expose your email content to people who are not supposed to see it. If you need to send sensitive or confidential information to someone, you should ask for their consent first, and use encryption or password protection if possible.
Bcc instead of using To when sending to multiple recipients to avoid sending unnecessary email addresses to people who wouldn't otherwise need them.
I found this useful recently, when I wanted to send information to a set of shortlisted candidates. Saved me sending multiple, individual emails.
Your email settings and permissions can also affect your email privacy, as they determine how your email service handles your data and who can access it. You should review your email settings and permissions regularly and adjust them according to your preferences and needs. For example, you can turn off read receipts, which notify the sender when you open their email, if you don't want them to track your activity. You can also disable automatic image loading, which can prevent spammers from tracking your email behavior. You can also revoke access to any third-party apps or services that you have connected to your email account, if you don't use them anymore or don't trust them.
Your email account's privacy settings should be reviewed and updated. Make sure to keep the quantity of personal information in your email signature or profile to a minimum.
Finally, one of the best email privacy practices to follow is to delete or archive old emails that you don't need anymore. Deleting or archiving old emails can free up space in your inbox, improve your email performance, and reduce the risk of data breaches or leaks. You can delete or archive old emails manually or automatically, depending on your email service and software. You can also use filters or labels to organize your emails and make it easier to find and delete or archive them. However, deleting or archiving old emails doesn't mean that they are gone forever. Some email services may keep a copy of your deleted emails in their servers for a certain period of time, or even indefinitely. Therefore, you should also check your email service's privacy policy and terms of service to understand how they handle your deleted or archived emails.
Along with performance and safety, proper email archiving ensures you can provide historical records if requested, helping you meet compliance standards and legal obligations. Email archives also serve as a backup for crucial communications. In situations involving data loss, hardware malfunctions, or cyber-attacks, these archives play a pivotal role in recovering essential information and upholding uninterrupted business operations!
One thing I have found helpful is logging out of old devices and computers, and erasing downloaded files. Do not open links sent by unknown or suspicious accounts.
No system is totally foolproof, but by adhering to the recommended principles, users' privacy can be greatly improved, and the chance of unauthorized access to sensitive data is decreased. Not really a common security measure, in my experience... I check what kinds of software and apps have access to my internet and data at startup and in the background. Apps and software are thus restricted to just working when they are launched.