he most important point in Email Security is protecting your email login details and messages. This is very important because of the security risks during data transmission, especially on mobile and wireless networks. For this purpose, it is recommended to use encryption when checking/sending emails. This can be accomplished by using:
Secure IMAP (IMAPs) – It is used for encrypting the incoming communication from the remote mail server. Check these instructions on how to enable it on Outlook, Thunderbird and Mac Mail.
Secure POP3 (POP3s) – It is also used for encrypting the incoming communication from the remote mail server. Check these instructions on how to enable it on Outlook, Thunderbird and Mac Mail.
Note: The difference between IMAPs and POP3s is the same as for the standard IMAP and POP3 protocols. IMAPs leaves the messages on the server. It is faster because it does not download the whole message but only its headers. Furthermore, it is preferred in terms of reliability. When your local computer crashes your emails will not be lost if you have used IMAPs. On the other hand, POP3s downloads the whole message and stores it locally. That’s why it is slower and less reliable.
Secure SMTP (SMTPs) – It encrypts the outgoing communication to the remote mail server. Check these instructions on how to enable it on Outlook, Thunderbird and Mac Mail.
The next thing to know about Email Security is how to fight SPAM (unsolicited email) and viruses. Below are some tips on this matter:
- Make sure to have an updated antivirus program.
- Update your email client to the latest version. If you have troubles updating your current email client, try the freely available Thunderbird. Many viruses are targeted against outdated mail clients.
- Do not open suspicious attachments even if the sender might look familiar.
- Avoid subscribing to free newsletters, lotteries or other similar activities. This usually results in an increased number of spam messages in your inbox.
- Protect your domain from being spoofed by spammers using an SPF record. Email spoofing will make you receive bounced back messages you have not sent.
- Use the SiteGround Spam Protection solution which will protect your e-mail accounts against Spam.
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