How Safe is Your Email?

Ever since the inception of E-mail, people have been able to get free email addresses from a variety of sources. While some of the platforms have not been wonderful, most are functional and even the most technically challenged among us can navigate them relatively well — enough, at least, to be able to send and receive email.

A handful of these platforms have become the ‘go to’ for most of society and most people are more than familiar with those that are most widely used. Cracks, though, have begun showing and most don’t realize these ‘free’ accounts are in jeopardy is when they fail.

Critics contend that they have experienced the shock and dismay of discovering that — out of the blue — their email accounts have been hacked or even, essentially, destroyed: and lost access can include a harrowing list of information that should never be accessible to hackers including banking and insurance information, medical records, even personal communiques.

How, then, do we go about ensuring that this potential disaster doesn’t happen to us?

There’s actually a ‘short list’ of things you can do that will help to ensure you don’t experience such a frustrating loss.

1. Stop using ‘public’ email domains.

Paid E-mail platforms are available everywhere and most will allow you to set up a free account to see how they work for you. Check out a few of the options and, once you select the one most functional for you, spend the few dollars it will require to secure your email with a paid service that then has a vested interest in keeping you as a client.

2. Check out your choice by actually calling them.

If they won’t answer your call when you’re signing up with their company, they won’t answer you when your email client crashes and your important emails are suddenly inaccessible. Today’s email platforms are every bit as important to us as USPS and using the local postal office. Treat it accordingly.

3. Periodically, do a quick search to see how providers are doing.

4. Have a backup in mind and send some of your most important emails to it so you have an accessible method of retaining that information.

5. Keep your Contacts in a safe place that is always accessible whether your email is, or not. Don’t let a less-than-professional platform become the controller of your contacts.

6. Have a Backup Plan and Use It.

Don’t lean too heavily on your email provider. Make sure you note issues and take those ‘red flags’ to heart: don’t wait until it happens to you.