With the development of technology, various functions and other advances have made communication easier. What’s more, email is considered the best and most professional way to communicate for businesses.
However, along with its advantages, there are a number of other disadvantages. Most of them are related to privacy. If you’re wondering if your emails are secure and encrypted, there’s a good chance they’re not.
Hence, there are several secure email providers and ways you can ensure that all your emails are secure and encrypted. One of the best ways is to change your email service provider.
Even though there are various email providers on the Internet, you should know which one offers the best features and at the same time guarantees communication security.
Government privacy policy
Several government policies pose a threat to society because they have an easy way to access citizens’ data and other information. This can be done easily with a few online and email actions.
This is one of the main reasons why having a reliable email provider is essential. Using basic and popular email services can lead to more danger. You must have noticed the multiple ads you get based on a single search history.
This is mainly due to the fact that all your internet activity is monitored and conversations and emails are shared with the server and other users. It is important for you to keep your email and other chats secure; This is why end-to-end encryption is of great importance.
In the same vein, several activists have also protested the privacy policies of many governments. There are quite a few mail servers located in Switzerland and other countries with strict privacy policies.
Therefore, the use of mail services in these countries is considered very safe.
Factors to Consider Before Using an Email Service
As mentioned earlier, there are several email providers on the Internet and it can be difficult to choose the right one. Hence, if you are considering creating a new email account or switching to a different email provider, here are a few factors you should consider before choosing one.
Along with encryption, there are also security, privacy, and jurisdiction that you should keep in mind when creating an account with a particular email service. As soon as you can protect your email communications, all your data and other activities will also be automatically protected by the provider.
There are several reasons why you should create a new account with a secure email provider. Most of them for security reasons as well as additional features.
1. Encryption
First of all, you will need to check if the email service provides encryption or not. The entire communications chain must be end-to-end encrypted. Moreover, it helps to ensure the security of not only communications, but also all other investments.
At certain times, the sender, their email headers, and other email content are also insecure. Email providers that support IMAP and other end-to-end encryption are very important.
2. Better privacy
Using secure email service providers based in privacy-friendly countries is the easiest way to keep your data private. Since there are no mandatory data retention laws in such countries, providers guarantee maximum data security, often with zero access that they can easily follow.
As a result, you can be sure that neither your government nor any other regulatory authority will ever have access to your email.
3. Service location
Also, it would be helpful if you could see where the email service is located. This will give you an idea of where the data is being collected. Once you know the location of the service, how it will affect your data will help you in case of any problems.
4. Email Service Provider Policies and Standards
Along with jurisdiction, you also need to understand the policies and standards of the email service. It will also let you know where and how the data is stored. If you understand the policies of the service, it will be easier for you to know if your data is saved or not and how long they keep it.
5. Features
Most email services provide users with several features related to files, contacts, calendars, etc. For this reason, checking the collaboration tools and other features provided by an email service is very important.
It’s also important to import all of your existing contacts and emails into the one you’re currently using. PGP is commonly used to improve email security and provide encryption. Hence, if an email provider can provide all these features along with good privacy and security, you can start using it.
6. Two-factor authentication
This is another integral part of a reliable email provider. With two-factor authentication, hackers or anyone else can’t get into your email account just by entering your password.
It is important to enter additional information, which can be either through a backup email address or through a phone number. The code sent to any of them must be entered first to sign in to your account.
Only in this case the user will have access to the account. Therefore, if email providers have the option of two-factor authentication, it becomes much more secure for users to access their accounts and protect their data.
7. Tracking metadata
While common email services such as Yahoo and Gmail allow you to encrypt your emails, you are vulnerable due to insecure metadata. However, your metadata may not contain your entire post.
However, it includes other important details such as sender information, timestamps, and the general meaning of your message. Despite the encryption, anyone who gains access to this data with malicious intent will still be able to gain insight into your email.
As a result, it is preferable to use secure email services as they completely hide your metadata.
How to keep your emails secure and private
If you use a secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging service, you have taken an important step towards making your messages truly secure and private. You can take a few extra precautions even after choosing a particular secure email provider.
You should be aware that some programs capture what you type directly from the keyboard. In most cases, hackers will only need your password to gain access to your account.
At this time, if they use software such as keyloggers, encryption will no longer play an important role as hackers can easily gain access.
Another essential point that you should keep in mind is that you should never leave your phone or computer unattended. You must ensure that all of your devices have either strong passwords or other biometrics that will be difficult to obtain.
If you do not allow insecure or guest accounts, access will be blocked and you will be less likely to hack your phone or steal data. It would be helpful if you also followed social engineering.
Certain phishing attempts can be made frequently through instant messaging, social media, or email. In most cases, hackers can carefully control such attempts so that they go unnoticed for a long time until the damage is done.
You also shouldn’t share any password, or even write it down, for that matter. Write down email passwords that can be easily decrypted to make it easier for others to access your account.
Most secure email providers
Since you now know the various features and other services that email providers have to offer, you will be able to go through the checklist and filter out the ones that seem insecure.
Here are some of the most secure email providers that offer several features and more.
- Protonmail
- hush mail
- start mail
- Countermail
- Tutanota
- runbox
- ZohoMail
- posteo
- Mailfence
- LibremMail
- KolabNow
- cryptotext
- Disroot
- fast mail
- Ctemplar
1.protonmail
Protonmail is considered one of the best email encryption providers. This email service is owned by a Swiss company and provides several features and, most importantly, top-notch security.
This provider’s data centers are underground, protected by Swiss law and nuclear safe. It is kept under 1000 meters of granite rock. This email provider also has a no access and knowledge policy. This means that no employee or provider can read or access your emails or attachments.
One of the main features of this email service is that it self-destructs emails. Once an expiration date is set, emails will be automatically deleted from your inbox.
Also, users can only purchase 500MB of storage unless they pay for it. The email service also offers paid versions where users can store up to 5GB of messages and the daily email limit is also 1000.
If you are an individual user, the free version will have enough storage space and daily emails that you can send up to 150 messages. In addition, they also offer premium versions, both professional and forward-thinking.
The former provides unlimited messages along with 5 GB of storage per user. However, the latter offers unlimited messages with 20GB of storage. Some of the most important features of Protonmail are zero-access encryption, open source, end-to-end encryption, paid plans, and self-destructing emails.
2.Hushmail
Hushmail is also one of the most secure email providers with proper encryption services. They usually use the OpenPGP protocol so all emails are kept private. This is a very easy to use application, one of the easiest. It can also be used on a mobile device and is considered one of the best secure email providers.
They also have the ability to send and receive emails securely, even if the other recipient isn’t using Hushmail. Moreover, another great feature of this email provider is that you will be asked additional security questions before sending the email to another recipient so that the entire chain is encrypted.
Since it is considered one of the easiest email providers, creating an account and logging in is also very easy. After logging into your account, you can easily access your account either from the desktop itself or from the phone app.
In addition, various plans are available. There is a free version and five other paid versions that serve different purposes. These include individuals, small businesses, healthcare, law, nonprofits, and businesses. Most of these paid versions have storage up to 10 or 15 GB.
Personal – This edition provides 10 GB of storage, two secure web forms, and multiple layers of security. It also provides ad-free accounts with unlimited email aliases.
Small business. This version also provides 10 GB of storage per user and provides OpenPGP encryption. This allows users to use their domain name and other administrative tools.
Healthcare. This version has a bit more features than the rest, as it allows you to use 1-10 email accounts and 2-10 web forms. It also has a HIPAA business partnership agreement with email archiving.
Law. This version is for attorney and client privacy and has its own secure forms, including email archiving.
Nonprofits – Hushmail provides both mobile and desktop access and administration tools.
Company. Some of the features in this version include email migration and forced password complexity. It also provides API access and access control lists for white label solutions with enforced password complexity.
These are some of the versions available and along with that, users can opt for a free account if it is for personal use.
3.Startmail _
StartMail is a little different from other mail providers. One of the main reasons is that it only uses Pretty Good Privacy instead of end-to-end encryption. However, this email provider uses two-factor authentication and in general the data is protected by Dutch privacy laws.
However, you need to remember that there is no free service, and before you contact this provider, you can take advantage of a seven-day trial. This provider also allows its users to access one-time anonymous email aliases that are completely unlimited.
The email storage a user gets is around 10GB, and the paid version starts at $2.50 per month. What’s more, you can’t access email from the mobile app, and you’ll have to use the desktop version itself or create a browser shortcut for email on your phone.
Another notable feature of this email provider is that none of the ads are forced, which means your email activities are not tracked either. The only downside to this particular email provider is that they don’t provide free versions; however, they provide a free trial for seven days.
4. Countermail
CounterMail provides secure and proper user support, and the provider doesn’t have to pay at all. In addition, this email provides users with both OpenPGP and end-to-end encryption.
One of the most popular but unique features of these email providers is that they do not store data on hard drives as the server is diskless. In addition, this service is headquartered in Sweden, a country under the jurisdiction of the 14 Eyes.
Since the Swedish authorities could potentially legally force CounterMail to grant full access to their servers, it’s good that users can remove their private keys from CounterMail’s servers and store them locally on their computers. CounterMail wouldn’t be on this list of the most secure email providers if this option wasn’t available.
5. Tutanota
Tutanota is a secure open source email provider and cloud service. It is very easy to use and compatible with most devices. There are no ads as such and there is end-to-end encryption.
Plus, it has 2FA for email and is integrated with your contacts and calendar. Tatunota has both free and paid plans, including Teams and Premium. The free version provides 1 GB of storage along with the domain.
The staff or provider also has no access to the messages, which is also called a zero-knowledge platform. There are some limitations in the free version, which are usually related to only searching for one month’s saved emails.
Paid plans are slightly more affordable than most email providers. If you choose the personal plan, it’s up to $1 per month, and for business accounts it’s $5.
6.Runbox
Runbox is also considered a very secure email provider that secures the email and the user with two-factor authentication and PGP encryption. They also provide a feature for both failed and successful account login attempts.
To use this feature, you must allow Runbox to access your IP address. Another interesting feature of Runbox is that the servers are powered by hydroelectric power plants.
In addition, Runbox focuses on powering servers only from renewable energy sources and is environmentally friendly. All their servers are located in Norway. It also supports IMAP, SMTP, WAP and POP.
However, Runbox does not provide free plans to its users. They have various plans ranging from $19/year to $79/year. Plans include Micro, Mini, Medium and Max. Email storage also varies by plan; micro has 2GB email storage as well as 2GB file storage.
The medium and maximum plan provide 25 GB and 50 GB of email storage respectively, as well as 2 GB and 5 GB of file storage. In addition, Runbox also has a list of allowed IP addresses and spam and virus filters.
7. ZohoMail
Zoho Mail is available to all users, both for personal and business use. The business plan has more features, including tools such as a webinar platform, spreadsheet software, word processor, and chat features.
Zoho Mial ensures that email is not spoofed at the same time, mainly through the unique digital signature of each user. S/MIME is asymmetric cryptography that Zoho servers use and when email is in transit it is encrypted.
This email provider is more popular among business users due to these features. Moreover, if you use a corporate mailbox, you can also manage some settings using the control panel. This allows you to store all emails in one specific folder.
Some of the main features of this email provider are collaboration tools, especially for business purposes, and contact and calendar portals. They also have end-to-end encryption with an email recall feature.
The plans are priced as follows: For Mail lite, it is $1.25 per month, which provides 5 to 10 GB of storage each month. On the other hand, the premium version of Mail costs $4/month for 5GB of storage. The Workplace plan has a custom pricing feature that starts at $3 per month.
8 Posteo
Posteo is an email provider well known for its servers provided by Green Energy. This green energy is known as Greenpeace Energy and provides renewable energy to the German cooperative.
This email provider is also very popular with journalists and activists as it provides the option to sign up for an email account and pay for the plan anonymously. In addition, all data is encrypted during transmission.
Posteo doesn’t have end-to-end encryption by default, but gives users the option to enable it. Along with that, it also provides an extra layer of privacy with TLS encrypted access and transmission.
All hard drives are encrypted along with mail storage. They have an advanced spam and virus filter with 2FA and incoming S/MIME and OpenPGP encryption. You can also easily switch from another email provider without any hassle.
The email provider will transfer all contacts, calendar data, emails, and other folders. One of the disadvantages of Posteo is the lack of E2EE, as it is an integral part of the encryption.
In addition, this email provider supports anonymous payments and all emails, including subject, content, and recipients, are secure. They also had daily backups and a secure vault with no logs and no frequent deletion of logs.
Some of the disadvantages of this email provider are that custom domains are not authorized and there is no spam folder. All spam emails are either sent directly to a regular mailbox or are rejected immediately.
9. Mailfence
Mailfence is considered one of the most trusted email providers. It has OpenPGP and is digitally signed and provides several features for business and personal use. This email provider belongs to Belgium. Therefore, all data and email are protected by Belgian protection law.
Due to end-to-end encryption of emails, Mailfence employees cannot access any of your data or emails. For this reason, there are no ads from third-party apps and your activity is also not tracked.
Along with other additional features, Mailfence also provides 500MB of file storage and built-in key storage. An email digital signature helps you log in seamlessly and prevents anyone from hacking into your account.
Mailfence allows you to store all your documents, as well as edit and share them as needed. It integrates along with other messages, contacts and calendars. The security level of this email service is the same for all plans.
Whether you use the free or paid version, the data will be equally protected by the provider. Mailfence also allows you to use certain custom features or interface to meet the needs of the user. This is especially useful when the user is on a business plan or a paid plan.
In addition, the paid version also provides more space for its users depending on the purpose of their use. If they need to send out bulk emails, or if email is their usual way of communicating, some settings can be changed and they can also have a lot of flexibility.
One of the important features of Mailfence is that it does not allow anyone to decrypt messages, which is why it is considered one of the best private email providers.
Some of the disadvantages of this email provider is that they only offer 500MB for the free version which is not so ideal for business purposes. In addition, you must have a different email address to receive an activation key.
At the same time, the source code is usually not available for any verification, and Mailfence servers also store private encryption keys.
10. Librem Mail
Librem Mail is one of the best American email providers, very secure and provides encryption for all communication methods. These include video calls, voice calls, and chats in addition to email.
This email service is the latest addition to Libre One, which was originally under one of the licensed versions of Apache 2.0. They have K-9 Mail and open source Android software.
They have a data backup system and cloud storage as well as VPN services. Librem Mail provides a secure email service that is also free for users. However, they also have different pricing plans that include the basic, full, and family packages.
The basic package is $1.99/month, while the full package and family package are $7.99/month and $14.99/month. Even though this mail service is available on Android, it is not yet available for the iOS version.
Since it does not track users, it is also decentralized. It also means no ads and a proper VPN system to keep you safe. However, the disadvantages of this email provider is that the entire platform is based on free software projects only.
This is also one of the main reasons why users often face the problem of multiple errors and crashes appearing causing the app to crash.
11. KolabNow
Several secure email providers are Swiss companies. KolabNow is one of them, providing its users with multiple features and added security. It provides 5 GB of storage to all its users and all data is protected by Swiss law.
Because Switzerland has very strict privacy laws, this is open source software. They have free and paid versions, the latter costs $9.90 per month. KolabNow also ensures the safety of all data, especially when it comes to advertising campaigns.
They offer both individual and group plans that differ in features and storage. The group plan offers several customizable options and other admin tools to meet the needs of your business. This plan allows up to 100 users and costs $11 per month.
On the other hand, the individual plan costs $5.5 per month with the same features mentioned earlier, but it does not grant access to multiple users at the same time. They also provide a money back guarantee which is up to 30 days.
This Swiss company also supports Perfect Forward Secrecy, which has text search and a powerful tagging feature. Some of the rules under which your data is protected are PCI, HIPPA and GDPR compliant.
In addition, the collaboration tools are very helpful when sending emails and setting up the control panel. The only downside to this email provider is that debug report entries are saved only when needed.
12. Cryptotext
Criptext is a free encrypted email service with open source apps for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS. However, the service is still in beta testing. This email service was originally created as a Gmail extension for encryption purposes.
However, a year later, when they faced several interventions from the Panamanian government, there were many more privacy concerns around the world. This prompted them to build their service with proper encryption and security.
Criptext is also considered one of the pioneers of the most secure email providers. The best feature is that the recipient does not need to have a Criptext account. Moreover, there are no paid versions, so anyone can use this service for free.
There is no activity tracking and data storage as such, which translates into advertising. Another important feature of this email provider is the ability to cancel sending. You can also track your emails through this provider.
The only downside of Criptext is that the server saves certain information. This information mainly includes user data such as backup and primary email addresses, name, last activity date, and number of approved devices. Also, Criptext does not allow you to use it in Outlook or Mail.
Even though this email service does not offer additional storage for its users, the data is not shared with anyone. Even personnel cannot access the data, and the rest of the stored information is safe.
13.Disroot
Disroot is a secure email provider based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The data is encrypted using SSL, which remains between the user and the mail server. No other party can access it.
Through the TLS protocol, the email provider’s server keeps all data secure. However, there is one more thing to note: the recipient’s mail server must also support encryption.
Disroot also offers 2 GB of free inbox storage. In addition to that, they also support up to 10MB of documents via an attachment. The user interface is also multilingual, making it easy for users to work with this mail server.
This email provider is available across platforms and can be accessed through a web page, IMAP, and POP3. Along with the email service, this provider has other features as well, including chat, forums, social media, and cloud storage.
The only downside to this email provider is that the storage space is limited. While it can be upgraded, some users might find it a little more tedious to pay for additional storage.
Disroot provides a complete set of productivity and communication tools as an Office-style web service. Unlike many of its competitors, Disroot is decentralized, open source, and has several federated services.
The Disroot mail service is strictly confidential. The service has been up and running since 2015, although usage is hard to track because the company doesn’t track active users.
14. Fastmail
FastMail is an Australian private postal service that also has offices in the US. The provider encrypts each transaction. This includes sending and storing email, account access, and more.
FastMail is an email service that provides email accounts for companies and individuals. Customers can use it in over 36 different languages. The company does not participate in any monitoring program organized by the government.
They undertake to be open and honest with their users if any authority requests information from them. Fastmail is not a free service. Payment plans from an email service provider range from $3 per user per month to $9. However, you can also use the service for free for 30 days before paying.
Alternatively, you can also choose your virtual path ID. Along with this, the email address can also be customized. You can also easily find the email information you need without any delay.
Since FastMail is under Australian jurisdiction, it is subject to the Five Eyes oversight agreement. This is an integral feature of FastMail as not only does it have IMPA access, it also has no complex or hidden policies.
The user interface is also very simple and user friendly. The only downside to this particular email provider is the lack of free plans.
15.Ctemplar
Ctemplar is another great private and secure email service. Its servers are physically located in Iceland. Iceland is also known for its strict privacy laws that protect the privacy and freedom of citizens.
The email service provides a free subscription for limited use. The free plan includes 200 emails per day, 10MB attachments, 10GB storage, full encryption, and unlimited folders.
Subscribe to their paid plans to increase your limits. Ctemplar is currently available by invitation only. To get an invitation code, you must either know the paying user and ask for it, or contact support and request it.
Conclusion
Many free email providers either do not protect your privacy or are actively working to violate it. Switching to an encrypted email account is a welcome change. However, it is very important to first evaluate the provider’s encryption methods, how the service is funded, and the location of the server.
Each of the secure email services listed above is far superior to Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail, and others to keep your messages private. However, ProtonMail is the best service and deserves to be recommended.
Of course, no online service is completely secure, regardless of the provider’s ethics. There will always be hackers and spy agencies looking to expand their ever-expanding databases. Some other email providers are based in Germany and Belgium, and Yahoo Mail is also considered a very secure provider. However, other more secure email providers have emerged.
FAQ
How to secure email?
There are several ways to secure your email. First, you must ensure that you are using a secure email provider so that your data is end-to-end encrypted and safe. Certain keyboard recording software makes it very easy for hackers to gain access. Hence, it is important for you to be careful about the same. Also, you should not leave any of your devices unattended and watch social engineering. Storing your password in a secure password manager is very secure and most people recommend it. In addition, when choosing a secure email provider, you also need to make sure that the service can protect sensitive data and block any unauthorized access to your information or email. Remember this
What is the most secure free email?
There are several secure emails on the Internet these days. Even though there are many free and paid versions of these email services, Proton is considered one of the most secure email services out there. This email service is based in Switzerland and offers many features, the most important of which is top-notch security. This provider’s data centers are underground, protected by Swiss law and protected from nuclear weapons. It is hidden under a 1000-meter granite rock. This email provider also has no access and knowledge policy. This means that neither employees nor the provider can read or access your emails or attachments. One of the most notable features of this email service is that emails self-destruct.
Is Gmail a secure email provider?
Even though Gmail is considered to be one of the most popular email services, there is no guarantee that your emails or your data will not be accessed by the staff or the server. There is a high probability that your data is only protected to a certain extent. The encryption is done over TLS and the service protects most of your data while it’s in transit. Gmail has a few features that provide some degree of security, but there are bots and collaborators that scan and save your data and information. Plus, privacy-conscious email providers make money selling premium plans, not advertising or selling your data. They are also end-to-end encrypted for maximum security.
What is the best secure email service?
Some of the most secure free email services are Protonmail, Hushmail, StartMail, etc. ProtonMail is an encrypted email service based in Switzerland. It is compatible with iOS and Android mobile apps. The program is designed as an open source service with end-to-end encryption. Hushmail is also the most secure email service provider offering proper encryption. They usually use the OpenPGP protocol to keep all emails private. It is also one of the easiest apps to use. StartMail is a little different from other mail providers. One of the main reasons is that it only uses Pretty Good Privacy and not end-to-end encryption. However, this email provider uses two-factor authentication, and Dutch privacy laws generally protect data. However, keep in mind that there are no free services, and you can take advantage of a seven-day trial before switching to this provider. This service also provides its customers with unlimited one-time anonymous email aliases.