Email Security & Tips
Email - Electronic Mail
Email is a fast and efficient way to communicate. It is very useful for sending messages to which you need a timely reply, it's a great way to keep people informed about developments and it also makes it easy for people in different geographical locations and time zones to discuss topics and issues. It can be used as a tool for planning, and for content creation. However, email is not ideal for more nuanced discussions, and because it is text-based it can be easy for the tone of comments to be misunderstood.
You can access an email account in two ways, either using an application dedicated to receiving, sending and managing your messages, such as Outlook Express or Thunderbird, or via your web-browser, using online services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Hotmail. Before doing anything, you will need to open an account with an email provider (see below).
The main thing to remember about email is that all data travels on the internet in a readable format, so if someone intercepts your email along the way, they can read the content easily. You would be surprised by just how many people could view this content if they wanted to. The internet is a huge, worldwide network of computers, all directing traffic among themselves, so there are very many different people who have the opportunity to intercept a message in this way.
Email Security
Few of the webmail providers available offer SSL access to your email. Some of them give you a secure login to protect your password but the messages you send and receive are not secure. Some even insert the IP address of the computer you are using into all of the messages you send. Two providers which are worth considering are Gmail and Riseup.
GMAIL: can be used entirely through a secure connection, as long as you login to your account from https://mail.google.com (with the HTTPS), rather than http://mail.google.com. To ensure ultimate security, you also need to set a preference that tells Gmail always to use SSL in sending and receiving mail. However, we don't recommend relying entirely on Google for the confidentiality of your sensitive email communication. Google scans and records the content of its users' messages for a wide variety of purposes and has, in the past, conceded to the demands of governments that restrict digital freedom.
RISEUP: If you don't have an email account yet, or wouldn't mind switching, the best we can recommend is Riseup https://mail.riseup.net. RiseUp offers free email to activists around the world and takes great care to protect the information stored on their servers. They have long been a trusted resource for those in need of secure email solutions. Unlike Google, they have very strict policies regarding their users' privacy, and no commercial interests that might conflict with those policies. In order to create a new RiseUp account, however, you will need two 'invite codes' which can be given out by anyone who already has a RiseUp account.
Regardless of what secure email tools you decide to use, keep in mind that every message has a sender and one or more recipients. Even if you are accessing your email account securely, your recipients may not be using a secure email account when reading and replying to your messages. To ensure private communication, you and your contacts should all use secure email services. If you want to be certain that messages are not intercepted between your email server and a contact's email server, you might all choose to use accounts from the same provider. In this case, RiseUp is a good one to choose.
E-Mail Security Tips
- Don't open email attachments that you are not expecting, or which have come from someone you do not know. When you open such an email, make sure that your anti-virus software is up-to-date and pay close attention to any warnings from your browser or email program.
- You can use anonymity software which can help you hide your chosen email service from anyone who might be monitoring your internet connection. A good, free software programme to do this is Tor (Find out more about Tor browser using Google). If you don't want to give away information about your identity through your email, do not register a username or 'Full Name' that is related to your personal or professional life.
- You can avoid getting spam (unwanted or junk email) by guarding your email address and distributing it sparingly. Also, never open or reply to any emails you consider to be spam, because spammers will take this as a proof of the legitimacy of the address and will just send you more spam. Consider using a spam filter, but remember that it needs to be monitored as it may mistake a genuine email for spam.
- You should try to avoid your emails being mistaken for spam by the recipients. Spam filters will block messages with certain words in the subject heading. It is worth scanning your spam folder for subject lines that are getting blocked.
- Beware of email scams. Many scam emails pretend to come from a bank, Ebay, Paypal, or other online shops. If you get an email telling you that your account is in danger of being shut down, or that you need to take immediate action by updating your account information, be very suspicious: these messages are usually scams. Another frequent scam has you receiving an email from someone you know which says that they have had an emergency and asks you to send them money. This person's email account is likely to have been compromised by a scammer.
- Pay close attention if your browser suddenly gives you messages about invalid security certificates when you attempt to access a secure webmail account. It could mean that someone is tampering with the communication between your computer and the server in order to intercept your messages.
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Adopted from: https://survival.tacticaltech.org/internet/email/tips
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