Six Tips for Protecting Your Email Privacy

By now we all know not to post sensitive information on social networking sites. Even with privacy settings enabled, that angry political rant or embarrassing beach photo can easily become the next viral Internet sensation. By comparison, email seems like a much safer communications medium, but you can still get into trouble if you lose control of your account. In addition, email messages bounce unprotected from server to server, so private information might be compromised. Here are six tips to protect your email account and your private messages.

1. Use a Strong Password. You give out your email address all the time; it's not really private information. That being the case, the only thing protecting your account from misuse is the password. A malefactor who guesses your too-weak password gains full control of your email account. Protect your account with a strong password, especially if you use a Web-based email provider like Gmail or Yahoo mail.

2. Beware Public PCs. If you check your email on a public computer in a library or Internet café, be absolutely sure you've logged out before leaving. Even then, you might be leaving behind traces that could give the next user too much information about you. Follow PCMag's advice to Use Public Computers Safely.

3. Protect Your Address. It's true that you give out your email address every time you send a message, but there's no need to give it to the whole world. Don't include your email address in comments on blog posts, or in social media posts. Spammers and scammers scrape pages all the time looking for new victims.

4. Lock It Up. If you step away from your desk, lock the Windows desktop or close your email client. Otherwise a sneaky co-worker could read your mail or even reset your login password. Hold the Windows key and press L to lock the desktop instantly.

5. Don't Be Fooled. Oh, dear. Your email provider has sent you notification of a security breach, with a link to reset your password. Don't click that link! It's almost certainly a fraud, designed to steal your email account password. If you have any doubts, navigate to the email provider's site directly and double-check.

6. Use Encryption. Sometimes you just have to send sensitive information by email. To keep your data safe, save it as a document and use your word processing application's built-in encryption, or store the document in an encrypted ZIP file. Then share the password with the recipient separately. If you need encryption frequently, try a free email encryption product like PrivateSky or Enlocked.

Does implementing these tips seem like too much trouble? That's nothing compared to the trouble you'll face when you log on one morning and find that your email account just sent a million advertisements for "gentleman's enhancement" products. A little effort now can head off big problems later.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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