Four Tips To Protect Your Email

The more we learn about government surveillance and hacking efforts, the less secure email really seems.  Yes, there are simple steps we can take to protect our email accounts, but there are also many vulnerabilities in email systems that can be exploited.  Here are four reminders to protect your privacy:

1) Strong Passwords - If your email password is "password", it is time for a change!  If you don't want your email account hacked, you need to choose a strong password.  If you need help selecting a strong password, you can read my tip here.

2) Trust Your Gut - Got an email from someone you don't know?  It's probably best not to open it!  Did your friend send you a strange-looking link?  Better check with your friend before you click it.  If anything seems strange, it's probably best to avoid opening it until you're sure it is legitimate.

3) Keep Your Private Information Private - The best way to keep your information private is to not share it at all.  Before you send information over email, think about whether or not you would want it posted online.  Even if your email is secured, do you know for sure that the recipient is not using an insecure password or being careless about opening emails?

As an additional thought, don't forget that the recipient could choose to forward the email or post it online.  I once received a very rude email from the owner of a company, and I chose to reply with a snarky, sarcastic response of my own.  I ended up taking the matter all the way to mediation through the Better Business Bureau, and my email was forwarded to the mediator.  Even though I was able to pass along multiple rude, insulting, and profanity-laced emails I had received from the business, my case would have looked much better if I had thought before I responded.

4) Watch Who's Watching You - I once was logging into my laptop in the car with a friend sitting in the front seat.  My friend was jokingly pretending to spy on my password as I entered it.  Fortunately, I can type very fast.  (I can regularly hit 70-80 wpm on a typing test and break 100 wpm on a short sprint.)  To my friend's amazement, I had my password entered in less than a second.

What happens when that person watching you isn't a friend with a sense of humor, but a man casually chatting with the lady at the computer next to you in the library?  If you type with your two pointer fingers (and there's nothing wrong with that!), that man could steal your email address and password from over your shoulder.  If you must check your email from a public place, take a look around before entering any sensitive data.