Encryption for Email

The importance of keeping correspondence confidential rises every time we hear about a data breach or a scam. Hackers and attackers won’t lose a chance to steal someone’s personal information, especially if this person has a serious business. Logins, passwords, or anything that could be in the emails may give criminals a chance, so it’s essential to provide encryption for email.

Well, it’s easier said than done. This method is very effective, but you should do everything according to the algorithm. Keep reading, and you will understand how to implement email encryption best practices in your cyber security system.

Encrypted Email Definition and Description

Encryption is an encoding process that allows users to protect any kind of information read by third-party users. If you want to send an email to a specific person and keep it away from everyone else, encryption is the best option. However, everything is a bit more complicated than you could expect.

What is the Difference Between Encrypted and Unencrypted Emails?

The difference is in the type of access. Emails or any data that has been encrypted have limited access. It means you transform data into another code or form, making it unattainable to scammers or hackers. Specialists use encryption algorithms to operate. It may be very effective for companies’ chats and groups, where colleagues share information.

However, popular services like Gmail don’t have their emails protected with encryption. So, a person who wants to steal your personal information or read some of your emails can do it by using specific tools. It means that if you work in a company or run a business with a high level of confidentiality, it’s up to you to use encryption for emails and protect important information.

Email Encryption Best Practices

After we answered the question “how are emails encrypted?” and why it’s important to protect your correspondence this way, let’s take a look at how exactly you can make this protection real. 

Transport-Level Encryption for Email

This kind of encryption is based on the cryptographic protocol called Transport Layer Security. The main idea is to make email servers automatically upgrade plaintext communication to encrypted communication. This kind of measure is the basic one for the communication between an email client and an email server. Moreover, it allows us to keep messages away from different threats. Those who are sending emails launch virus scans and spam filters that will check the data and delete everything that looks suspicious.

End-to-End Encryption for Email

The main idea behind this kind of encryption is to put encryption and description only at the endpoints. It means that if you use services like Gmail to send it, there won’t be any possibility to get it encrypted before receiving it. Some services work with integrated end-to-end encryption. How are emails encrypted with such methods? Developers use protocols to complete this operation and integrate this feature. It could be a GNU Privacy Guard, Pretty Good Privacy, or other similar protocols. Each protocol has features that make the process more or less complicated, but private companies and government organizations try to automate the process. Users don’t need to perform any operations to increase the level of protection for their emails.

How to Protect Your Email - Simple Steps 

Encryption is not the only option that can help you to protect your emails. Some simple tips will help you stay away from trouble.

• Work with two-factor authentication. Add another level to your access system, so the hackers won’t get in after getting your password. They will need confirmation, and they won’t get it.
• Scan attachments before opening them. If you know what email you usually get (advertisements, offers from clients, etc.), it may be strange when you receive an email from an unknown person or company. What if it’s a virus inside? Use anti-virus tools to check the letters before opening them. It may save you lots of time and resources. That’s why the use of encrypted email is essential for companies and organizations.

If you feel that using named methods is not enough for your cyber security, and you need proper data protection, we’ve got a solution for you. MBST provides clients with a full spectrum of services, including database protection. Give us a call, and we will resolve the problem in a moment!