Sending an email message is certainly more private than posting on a social networking site, but email has its own dangers. Here are six tips to help you communicate without risking your 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.
Copyright © 2010 Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc.
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