Email Security Tips

In this article on email security tips, we will take a look at the different ways in which you can make the most of your email without compromising on security. We will also check out some of the best practices for email security

In today’s world, everything is dependent on computers and internet. We all rely on computers and internet technology to such a extent that we often have to send our most personal information through emails. But emails are not 100% secure and there are many risks involved. We have heard of stories about credit card numbers being stolen, email accounts being hacked and personal data being altered, computer viruses erasing the entire system etc. The best defense against all these is in being aware. Let us take a look at some email security tips, which if followed can minimize the chances of someone hacking your emails accounts.

Email Security Best Practices

Create a Strong Password
One of the first tip to protect your emails account from hackers is to create a strong password and keeping it confidential. Viruses and worms have the capability of guessing weak passwords . Also to memorize them, we often create passwords based on our names, date of births etc. which makes your email account more vulnerable. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team advises people to use mnemonics, that is, instead of a password like ‘michaelsmith’ you can create your password as MNIMS which stands for ‘my name is michael smith’. Mnemonics generated passwords are stronger and less vulnerable to be hacked. You can read more on commonly used passwords and stay away from them.

Identify Phishing Emails
The college of New Jersey explains that phishing is a scam where a hacker sends out emails that look legitimate and like they’re from established nationally recognized companies, to try to steal your information and possibly your email passwords. Mails asking to update your bank accounts, passwords are some of the common examples. These mails are not legitimate, but are made to resemble one by employing social engineering techniques. Now the question is how would you identify phishing emails? A phishing email commonly uses the following words, ‘verify your account’, ‘you have won a lottery’, ‘if you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed’ etc. Whenever you find such emails in your inbox, don’t reply immediately and instead verify with the bank/company if they have sent that mail.

Secure your Computer
Update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software. You may think that your computer is protected as you have installed an anti-virus software, but hackers think about how to break your security gate all the time. Once they find a loop-hole in your computer’s security, they modify the viruses accordingly. The solution is to update your security software so that you are always one step ahead of them. Apart from this, you should always update your email security settings. For more information, read firewall settings.

Be Cautious While Opening Attachments
One of the most common ways of sending emails is by email attachments. Whenever you open an attachment, check for the URL. Be cautious even if the attachment is being sent by someone you know as many viruses can ‘spoof’ the return addresses. Also turn off the option of automatically downloading attachments.

Follow the Basic Safety Measures
Try using your email account at secure locations and remember to logout whenever accessing it from a shared computer. Change your passwords frequently and be aware of the latest happenings with regard to viruses, email scams, email security policy etc.