According to statistics, people sent 306.4 billion emails daily in 2020. That’s already a lot, but experts project it to increase to over 347.3 billion a day come 2023.
With such a high usage rate, it’s no wonder cyber criminals love using emails to victimize people. And unless you practice email security, you can become their new source of illicit income.
Fortunately, several methods can help secure your email account and mailing activities. We’ve listed the top five below, so read on.
1. Watch Out for Phishing Emails
Worldwide, criminals and hackers send an astonishing 3.4 billion phishing emails daily. So, it’s no wonder these illegal platforms account for an estimated 90% of data breaches.
The best protection against phishing is awareness and training on email security. For example, you should know that phishing emails often come as unsolicited emails. Moreover, they can come from recognized senders, such as well-known brands or businesses.
2. If It’s Suspicious, Don’t Click It
Never click on the links or attachments in unexpected or suspicious emails. Even if you know the sender, it’s likely a phishing message if it surprises you. In that case, a hacker may have already breached the sender’s account.
Viruses in email attachments are also rampant, which is another reason to be careful.
3. Use End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) Services
According to the folks at Telios Technologies, E2EE secures emails’ contents and recipients. It encrypts email messages (and all their contents) using private keys. So the only parties that can access the data are the sender and their specified recipients.
However, only a few secure email providers offer end-to-end email encryption. That includes Microsoft Outlook for Business, ProtonMail, and Hushmail, to name a few. Thus, if you’re one of the 1.8 billion users of Gmail, it’s best to get an E2EE service, as it doesn’t have this feature built-in.
4. Scan Emails and Devices for Malware
Most anti-malware programs offer malware scanners for email accounts. Use these to your advantage and run a full scan daily, if possible. After all, experts say close to half a million new malware and PUAs appear every day.
5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor authentication is a security protocol that requires more than an email password. Instead, it also relies on another method to authenticate your account access attempt.
Suppose you’re using Gmail, and you enable its built-in 2FA. In that case, you must provide your phone number or another email account you own.
Gmail then sends a code to either or both when you sign in to your Gmail account on a new device. Unless you provide that code, you won’t be able to access your account using the new device.
That makes 2FA integral to email security, especially if your password gets stolen. Even if hackers input your password, they won’t be able to get in since they need the other code.
Follow These Email Security Tips Today
Remember: The number of data breaches continues to rise, victimizing millions of consumers. Many of these reported cases are phishing attacks that occurred via compromised emails.
That’s enough reason to begin practicing better email security methods. So, as early as today, do yourself a favor by following the tips discussed in this guide.
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