November 26, 2020
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0Email Security Solutions for 2020
The 2020 trend is internet security. Just admit that that before this year, few people thought too much about it. Basically, people relied on some proven antivirus programs, reliable software, or even their own intuition. However, now everyone is looking for useful tips on how to protect themselves and their data on the internet.
Don’t forget that previously we’ve prepared a Fully-Fledged Guide on Ways to Protect Your Data Online.
People are busy searching for the latest antivirus programs and software, coming up with complex passwords, and enabling two-factor authentication everywhere. But, unfortunately, few of the things you find will actually protect you and your data, rather than just charging you for providing a false sense of security.
First, people began to wonder: “Are emails encrypted?” They started trying to protect their correspondence and looking for a more reliable email service. Fortunately, this market today boasts reliable mail options that will not only protect you from hacking, but also you’re your data, giving access only to you.
How reliable is the email security of popular programs, and what are the more advanced and confidential security email solutions today? We’ll tell you in this article.
Read the article Emails and Messengers: What is Secure Communication? and follow the right steps to protect your online correspondence.
Why do we need email security?
Imagine that we went back several decades ago. Remember that widespread use of email only really took off in this new millennium. Before that, people sent each other ordinary letters written by hand. There were two options:
- Send a letter in a sealed envelope that only the sender and receiver can access.
- Write a fax, the content of which can be seen by everyone.
Most people chose the first option. After all, it was safer, and they could write many times more than in an ordinary fax.
If we compare this situation with what is happening now, the letter in a sealed envelope is like an encrypted and secure email service, and a telegram is like a regular email without additional encryption and data protection.
This raises the question: Why do most people use regular email and put themselves and their data at risk on a daily basis? After all, sending messages using such emails puts their letters on public display. Of course, regular users won’t see them. But don’t forget about hackers, advertisers, and government agencies, for whom your data is gold.
It turns out that to ensure data privacy, you need to choose encrypted mail services with two-factor authentication, anonymous registration, a separate server for data storage, and decentralization.
We have already talked about several reliable mail services built on decentralization. In the article Decentralized Email you can find information about them and try each one for security.
How does email encryption work?
One of the most common ways to encrypt mail is to use a public and private key (PKI). The private key is only held by the receiver of the message. No one else can get it. On the other hand, the public key can be obtained by anyone wishing to send you an encrypted message.
In other words, when an interlocutor sends a common message, the service encrypts the message by special public key. Then, using a private key, a receiver can decrypt the message. Even if your message can be intercepted by cyber criminals, they will not be able to decrypt it without your private key; for them, this message will be just a set of characters, letters, and numbers.
*Note: Protected email services encrypt all messages.
After all, if encryption is configured only for a certain group of messages where confidential information is contained, and the rest will be sent unencrypted, then an attacker who has access to this part can easily hack the rest of the mail.
If the encryption works for every message, then no attacker will be able to hack your correspondence and get your data.
Did you hear about Email Bomb Attack? It is a new kind of cyberattack that can destabilize your computer and all your internet work. Read the article and protect your online life.
The most reliable email security solutions
Now let’s look at the options for reliable, anonymous and decentralized email services.
Utopia
Utopia is a unique and fully-fledged decentralized ecosystem that provides reliable and secure data transfer and information storage. It is built on a peer-to-peer architecture, and has its own internal currency based on a hybrid blockchain – Crypton.
Utopia is an instant messenger, anonymous browser, encrypted mail, crypto container, and much more.
The advantage of Utopia is anonymous registration. No one knows the user’s real name, address, or geolocation. It does not enter personal data. Instead, the ecosystem generates a private key consisting of an infinite number of possible character combinations.
In addition, all data is stored on a separate server, access to which is restricted. All files are encrypted with multi-level encryption.
uMail – an alternative to the popular email, provides fast and secure transfer of files and confidential documents.
The ecosystem is available in the desktop version. To use it, all you need to do is download it and register. In addition, it is absolutely free to use, free from censorship, and does not monitor users.
The creators of the ecosystem still remain anonymous. This option was chosen in order to avoid pressure from government agencies.
ProtonMail
ProtonMail is a fully encrypted email service that was created in Switzerland. It is built using open source code. There is a version for your computer and phone.
This service uses E2E encryption method: nobody can get free access to person’s files and messages. For access, a user has a private password. Neither employees nor internet providers.
Remember: you can’t open the service if you forget your private password. Moreover, you can’t recover your account access without this password.
The advantage of ProtonMail is that it does not store data about the IP address used. In addition, you can start using this service without registration, which will provide an additional level of security in the network.
There are two versions: paid and free. The free version gives about 500 MB of data storage and 150 limit messages a day. While the paid one extends these features to 2 GB of data storage and an unlimited number of messages per day. Also, the paid version gives a user other additional benefits and features.
Hushmail
Hushmail is a specially created and encrypted service that protects users’ messages from hacking attack. It has a high level of data encryption. Even the service itself doesn’t have access to users’ data and accounts.
Each client can freely send and receive encrypted messages not only from Hushmail users, but also from Google. For this, a client should register in the system and choose one of the available domain name: @hushmail.com, @hushmail.me, or @mac.hush.com.
Hushmail is available on Android and iOS devices. If you want to use it there, you should download the app in the app store of the appropriate OS.
The main its advantage is an unlimited number of aliases that a person can create using such domain name as @nym.hush.com. It hides a real ID in the global internet space. Hushmail has a free and a paid version of the service. The first one is available for 2 weeks. During this time, a user should test the service and decide whether to buy the paid version or not.
