Email security is such a common topic now that it’s not taken as seriously as it should be.
The way it’s usually talked about, though, only worked for how email was used 20 years ago. Today’s technology has brought new considerations. The picture has gotten more complex. With the internet of things, email security has new requirements.
Just think: your email account is synchronized to your work phone and your personal phone. It’s permanently open on your work computer and your personal computer. Maybe it’s saved on your kid’s tablet, too. Maybe it’s open on that old computer you haven’t sent in for safe disposal yet. Then, there are those websites and apps you granted “permission” to use your email so you can log in without a username and password.
Digital criminals want access to your email. With it, they can send verification codes and “prove” that they’re you for all your other accounts.
Today’s reality is a multiple device one, and your email plays a central role. Take these 6 email security practices seriously to protect yourself from risk.
6 Best Email Security Tips for Multi-Device Users
The old email security rules everyone knows are still true: don’t trust emails with funky addresses, always block spammers, don’t trust “too-good-to-be-true” offers.
Then, there are next-level security tips to protect you in a multi-device world.
1: Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
MFA means using more than one method to log into your email (or any other account). This includes some combination of a password, a one-time password or “token” generated independently, and biometric data like a fingerprint or face scan.
If your devices have additional lock features (like a face scan to unlock), that does help. However, your email inbox needs to be even more secure. Microsoft predicted that MFA-protected accounts can block 99.9% of email fraud.
2: Re-educate Yourself on Phishing
Pretty much everyone knows what phishing is: emails that hit your inbox pretending to be an entity they aren’t with to trick you into giving out information.
Phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and realistic, and you’ve probably seen more in your email than you realize. Remember to take this crime seriously and stay up to date on the latest trends in phishing scams.
3: Monitor Your Habits
Keep track of what you do with your email. This includes knowing where you’ve given it out and what information you store there. Get specific—keep an actual log. This visualization will open your eyes to potential risks and help you easily pick out nefarious emails when they come in.
At all times, you should know:
- How many email newsletters you’re subscribed to
- How often you send emails in a typical day
- How many work email threads tend to be from outside your organization
- What time certain regular emails tend to come in
4: Log Out
Once you’re done in your email (for the hour, for the morning, for the day), then log out. This is even important on your personal device because it keeps you consistent so you never forget to log out on a public or shared device.
5: Don’t Click Links in Emails
Of course, some links you have to click. However, no link should ever be clicked—even from the most trustworthy emails—until you’ve hovered your mouse over the link to see if the actual link (which pops up in the lower left of your browser) is different from the one displayed.
When in doubt, type web address link directly into the browser to avoid clinking in emails at all.
6: Be Careful Which Devices You Use
Today, we all use multiple devices. At the very least, there’s a computer and a smart phone we’re on every day.
Whenever you’re faced with a reason to add your email to any new advice, take a moment to think about how you want to do it. Can you use that device’s browser to log in instead of adding your email address to the email app? Can you review the browsing history to delete evidence of where you logged in after the fact?
Be especially cautious on any public devices.
Beyond these email safety tips, email security also includes industry-standard security features right inside your email account. The biggest email providers have these built-in, including automatic scans of attachments and automatic spam filtering.
Keep reading to learn about how file encryption should be part of your email security, too.