In today’s day and age, everyone relies on their email account heavily whether this is for work, study or simply for their personal life. While emails are a superb way to communicate and stay updated on important information, they can also be dangerous as many hackers and cybercriminals will use emails to either gain access to your private information or to install damaging software on your computer. There are many advanced scams and constantly new ones being developed which means that everyone with an email account needs to consider a few ways that they can protect their email account and stop cybercriminals in their tracks.
Strong Password Protection
Every email account will be password protected, and it is important that you are using a random password which nobody could guess. It much easier to think of something personal like your favorite sports team or film, but this can make it incredibly easy for hackers to gain access to your account.
Two-Factor Authentication
In addition to password protection, most email suppliers also provide two-factor authentication (2FA) feature which adds another layer of protection. In addition to a password, you will also need to have something else to gain access to the account, such as a phone number.
Be Wary of Suspicious Emails
Any emails that you receive are from an unknown sender or seem suspicious in any way should be deleted. You should never open an attachment from an unknown sender, or if it is from someone that you know, but the message sounds suspicious. Additionally, be wary of phishing which will involve a hacker attempting to obtain sensitive data by disguising as a trustworthy entity – these can be difficult to spot so always be careful and check with the trustworthy entity before entering any information.
Anti-Virus
You can also protect your emails by having high-quality anti-virus software like Sonic Wall installed. This will keep you protected against the various email and internet threats and remove anything dangerous that makes it onto your system. Be sure to keep this up to date to stay protected against the latest threats.
Public Wi-Fi & Shared Computers
If possible, avoid using public Wi-Fi to check your emails as it could be unsecured which could allow a hacker to gain access to your account – you can avoid this by using a virtual private network (VPN). Additionally, avoid logging into your account on a shared computer as it could store your password and/or be infected with spyware.
Multiple Accounts
Another way to protect your emails is to use multiple accounts. Many people have a personal and professional email account so that they are easier to manage, but this is also a good way to spread the risk so that if one is compromised then the data contained in the other account is kept safe (provided that you use different passwords).
Email accounts are seen as the gateway into somebody’s computer by cyber criminals which means that everyone needs to be vigilant when it comes to email. The above are all effective ways to protect your emails and your sensitive data.