Trying to improve your email security?
Looking for the best email security tips?
While having an email account it can be very convenient, it also opens you up to new threats and risks. If your email account is compromised you can face serious problems such as identity theft, phishing attempts, and the loss of confidential information. Because of this, it's crucial that you use a few security best practices to ensure your email is always as secure as possible.
Luckily, we've got your back. Below we'll tell you about the 10 most important tips you need to be using to improve email security.
Make Sure You Have a Strong Password
The first step to protecting your email account is to ensure that you've chosen a unique and strong password to use.
Ideally, your password should be very hard to guess and should be comprised of a mix of different characters including numbers, letters, and special characters. Additionally, it's important that your email password isn't the same as any passwords you use for other accounts or services online.
Start Using Two-Factor Authentication
In addition to using a strong password, some email services will allow you to enable a two-tier authentication process to protect your account even further. Oftentimes, this will be activated when you access your account from a different device.
Enabling this can be a great idea and can help to ensure that your email is as secure as possible. Having an extra security verification will make it even harder for hackers or criminals to get into your email account.
Scan For Malicious Software
If you accidentally open an email that is a little bit fishy, it's better to be safe than sorry. You may want to use a virus and malware scanner to scan your computer afterward to make sure it didn't alter your device or add any viruses, malware, keyloggers, or other suspicious software to your computer.
Additionally, some email services will allow for automatic virus scanning of emails before you open them. If possible, enable this so that you'll have the best protection possible for your email account.
Careful With Public Wi-Fi Networks
If you want to be extra careful with your email account, it's best to avoid using public WI-FI networks whenever possible. If possible stick to private WIFI connections and never log into a WIFI connection that you don't trust.
When you do have to use public WI-FI, you'll want to avoid logging into your email accounts or handling sensitive information on unsecured networks because. Hackers can potentially get into your system easier than you may think.
Have Multiple Email Accounts
When it comes to email, it's best not to mix business with pleasure. You should aim to use separate email accounts for work and for your personal life so that you have fewer chances of security threats causing problems in both.
Additionally, it's not a bad idea to have more than one personal email account as well. It's best not to rely on any particular email account too much for your online needs.
Be Ready For Phishing Scams
It's also important to avoid phishing attempts that come to your email. Phishing attempts can lead to the loss of personal information and can cost you a lot of money.
There are all kinds of scam emails that may arrive at your email address. Many of these will look like legitimate emails from your bank, a social network, or another legitimate business.
Be wary of clicking on emails that look suspicious, come from an email address with a strange name, or that asks you to reply with personal information.
Avoid Opening Attachments
In addition to being wary of opening emails, it's just as important to never open attachments that you weren't expecting or from senders you don't know.
When you download an attachment it may lead to the installation of spyware, keyloggers, or other malware on your computer. Be sure you know that an attachment is legitimate before you open it or download it to your computer.
Don't Click on Email Links
In addition to clicking on unsolicited attachments, you should also avoid clicking on links that appear in suspicious emails.
Links may lead you to a website that can steal your personal information or install malicious software on your computer. This can happen in a blink of an eye if you click on a link that is untrustworthy, so be very cautious. If you don't know the sender who has sent you a link or you're not sure that a link is safe, then don't click on it.
Reconsider Using the Unsubscribe Button
While we've already mentioned the trouble with clicking links in emails, the "unsubscribe" button in suspicious emails can sometimes fool someone who is extremely cautious. Sometimes scam emails will include an unsubscribe button at the bottom of an email, but these may pose just as many risks as other types of links.
Avoid clicking on the unsubscribe link if you notice one in a suspicious email. Simply move the email to your spam folder instead.
Make Use of Spam Filters
One of the best ways to ensure email security is to make sure that you have a strong spam filter for your email account that is doing its job well and weeding out any shady emails before they even get to you. Seeing less of these emails will make it less likely that you'll accidentally click on one.
If you're a website owner, you may want to invest in website security features such as a strong spam filter and email virus scanning.
Using These Tips to Improve Email Security
If you use your email regularly, then it's important that you get serious about email security. By keeping security in mind when using your email, you'll protect yourself from scams, phishing attempts, and other problems.
Make sure you're using the tips above so that you can avoid serious security breaches that can make your life miserable and lead to big headaches later on down the road.
