How to Protect Your Email Account from Hackers (and it’s really important to do so)
This article provides some tips on how to keep your email account safe from hackers.
Sadly, hackers and scammers often target peoples’ email accounts to gain access to sensitive information, and their tactics can be pretty convincing. Having a secure password is just the beginning—you’ll also need to watch out for scam emails with redirected login links, fake technical support representatives, attachments and software that install malware, and people looking to steal your identity.
Here are four tips to protecting yourself from having your email account hacked.
- Use a strong, unique password that is more than 12 characters and a mix of numbers and upper and lowercase numbers.
- Further, protect your account with 2-factor authentication (2FA).
- Don’t open attachments or click links in emails unless you are positive that they are safe.
- Always verify the sender’s email address.
- If you are ever emailed bank account details from a supposedly trusted source, verify these details over the phone with the sender (check that you are calling the right person) before you authorise the payment.
- Make sure your computer is up to date and is running a current version of protection software.
CREATE A STRONG AND UNIQUE PASSWORD
A good password is hard for other people to guess, difficult for software to crack, but easy for you to remember. It can be difficult to come up with a password that meets all of your email service’s criteria that’s actually easy to remember, but here are a few tips:
- Your password should be long: The golden rule now is that a password should be 12 characters and contain a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Don’t forget to password-protect your phone and tablet: Even if it makes it take a little longer to access your home screen, always password-protect your mobile devices. If someone else gains access to your unlocked phone or tablet, they’ll have access to all of your apps, including your email.
Use a unique password for your email account
Avoid the temptation of reusing passwords on multiple accounts. If you use the same password to log in to your favourite website as you do your email, you’re putting your email at risk—if someone cracks your password on that site, they’ll also have your email password.
Since there are so many passwords to remember nowadays, you may want to try using a password manager. Avoid choosing the option to save your passwords on the web. If you save your password to make it easier to log in, anyone using your computer may access your email. This is especially important when you’re using a public computer.
TURN ON TWO-FACTOR VERIFICATION
This is one of the most effective ways to protect your email account.
Most of the popular email services allow you to enable two-factor verification (2FA), which adds a second layer of protection to your account. When two-factor verification is turned on, you’ll also have to enter a special security code that is sent to you via SMS or in an authentication app when logging into your mail account. This will mean that if someone manages to crack your email password, they’d also need access to your phone to actually sign in. If you get a request for a code and you know that you have not tried to access your mail at that time, you will also be warned that someone is trying to compromise your mail account.
If your email provider does not offer 2FA, it is probably best to find one which does.
MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER IS UP-TO-DATE AND PROTECTED
To stay safe, make sure your antivirus/antimalware software is up-to-date, and that you’re running the latest version of your operating system and email application. Out-of-date security suites often don’t have the coding necessary to deal with newer viruses or hacks.
Also, be careful when installing free software—sometimes software comes with sketchy malware. Research apps before you install them.
If you’re using Gmail, you should frequently check which apps you’ve allowed access to your account or perform a Security Check. If you’re using Outlook, you can check your account history to make sure nothing you haven’t approved has happened.
AVOID OPENING ATTACHMENTS UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS
Unless you know exactly who the sender is and what the attachment is for, resist the urge to click anything in the email. Attachments can install malware on your computer, which makes it easy for hackers to access your email and your other personal information.
Don’t click any login links or buttons in an email message. Scam emails might also include fake login links or buttons that redirect you to a different website (which looks identical to the site you are expecting) that captures your password. These emails are often very convincing and look like they come from a legitimate company or service you do business with. Even clicking the link can bring you to a site that looks like one you use often.
If an email asks you to log in to update information or correct a billing error, open a web browser window, go to the address of the website directly, and log in that way to see if anything needs to be changed.
WHEN IN DOUBT
Trust your gut. If you feel that something may be odd, strange or unusual, or if you receive an email (or call) where you are put under pressure to act, trust your gut. Stop what you are doing and ask for help. You may be very glad you did.