Articles in Category: Email Security

Keeping your account, your contacts and the contents of your email private, safe and secure.

Opening a Virus?

Can I Get Malware From Opening an Email?

It used to be that simply viewing a malformed email could allow a virus to spread. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case.

A digital collage illustrating the concept of email privacy and security on a white background. Centered is a large, open laptop, symbolizing a secure email service. Around the laptop, include a lock representing security, an envelope with a shield for encrypted email, and a mobile phone with a red cross, indicating the option to create an email account without a phone number. The background should be plain white, with minimal digital motifs, focusing on the clarity and simplicity of the concept of digital communication and privacy.

Can You Make an Email Without a Phone Number?

There are legitimate reasons for not wanting to give your phone number to an email service. Let’s look at alternatives.

How Do I Tell If an Email Address Is Fake?

It’s hard to determine whether an email address is fake.

Google Account Recovery Email Configuration

Will I Lose My Account If I Don’t Set a Recovery Email Address for My Google Account?

Recovery email addresses are an important safety net. Here’s what you need to do.

Email attachment with a "no" sign.

How Can I Send an Attachment If It’s Blocked by the Recipient’s Email Program?

Many email programs try to protect users from malware by blocking certain kinds of attachments. What if you’re sending something that’s legitimate, but blocked?

Username / Password

I Enabled Two-Factor Authentication and Now My Email Program Can’t Sign In

Two-factor authentication is an important security tool. To access those accounts in some programs, though, you may need an app password.

Password

My Email Is Hacked, How Do I Fix It?

If your email is hacked, there are several steps you need to take to get it back and prevent it from being hacked again.

The Weakest Link

If Someone Hacks My Gmail, Can They Hack My Other Accounts?

If someone has access to your email, they can use that as a starting point to hack your other accounts.

Peek a boo!

How Secure Is Email?

Email is ubiquitous and convenient, yet surprisingly, not particularly secure. I’ll look at why that is and when you should worry.

Carefully typing your password

I Know My Password Is Right, But I Can’t Sign In. What Do I Do?

If your password won’t work and your secret questions are different, it’s pretty clear what’s happened and what you need to do.

Security

Why Am I Being Asked for Additional Verification on Sign-in?

If Microsoft detects a login attempt to your account from a country other than yours, additional security information may be required. You need to be prepared to provide it.

A Lifering

Why Would Someone Use My Email as their Recovery Email?

It’s not uncommon to get account-recovery requests for accounts we know nothing about. Here’s why, and what to do.

Frustrated Computer User

5 Reasons Your Closed Email Account Sends Spam

Closing an email account is many people’s first reaction to seeing spam sent from their account. It rarely helps, if it’s even possible. I’ll explain.

What Recovery Email Address Should I Use?

What Recovery Email Address Should I Use?

Your recovery email address is easy to overlook and forget, but it can be critical to regaining access to a compromised account. Here’s what you need to do.

Account Closed

Could Someone Reopen My Closed Email Account?

After an online account is deleted, the ID or email address is eventually made available for re-use. It’s the same name but a different owner, and that can confuse people.

Security Breach!

What Should I Do When My Information Is Involved in a Breach?

If your account is ever part of a breach, secure it to avoid further risk.

Locke Out

How Do I Keep Outlook.com from Locking Me Out When I Travel?

When your email is suddenly accessed from a new location, it could mean someone other than you is trying to log in. Email providers like Outlook.com watch for this.

Phone Support: What You Expect

Searching for a Technical Support Support Phone Number? Avoid This Huge Trap

There is no support phone number for major free services. So what’s up with the phone numbers in search results?

The scene includes a computer screen displaying an email inbox with several spam email subjects visible, such as "Account Hacked!" and "Urgent: Security Alert." A large, bold, red 'X' is superimposed over these scam emails, symbolizing rejection or marking them as spam. In the foreground, a figure symbolizing a user (not specific in appearance) confidently presses the 'delete' or 'spam' button on the email client, ignoring the scam attempts.

Has a Hacker Really Hacked My Email Account?

A scam claims your email account has been hacked, possibly even including a password you’ve used. Don’t be fooled.

Why Does Thunderbird Think this Message Might Be a Scam?

Why Does Thunderbird Think this Message Might Be a Scam?

Occasionally, security software examines links in email and alerts you if something is suspicious. Frequently, it’s totally benign.

Fake Ask Leo Email

Dealing with Fake “Ask Leo”

Someone’s sending spam that looks like an Ask Leo! recommendation. It’s not, and it gives us clues to keep in mind when evaluating any email message.

Confirmation translated to English

How to (Accidentally) Give Someone Else Your PayPal Account

Entering your email address incorrectly might just be a typo, but it can have surprising ramifications.

Hacking Detected

Will a Hacked Website Leak My Email Address?

Your password protects your account from unauthorized access, but it doesn’t protect your email address from exposure.

Zip

Why Spammers Love ZIP Files and How You Need to Stay Safe

ZIP files are incredibly useful for compressing files and containing collections of files. Unfortunately they’re also useful to hackers, spammers and scammers.

Justice

Who do I contact for legal help?

I get questions like this all the time. Individuals’ accounts have been hacked and they want to know who did it, or they already believe they know. And with that knowledge they want to do something. Typically, they want to see the offender get punished in some way. Sadly, life on the internet just isn’t … Read more

I Spy

Can my school see my emails and messages?

There are numerous people and programs that can track your internet activities… if you are really that interesting.

Email

Why am I getting Amazon notifications for someone else?

It’s pretty scary that you are getting notifications from someone else’s account – but not scary for you!

Sign Out!

How Do I Force My Email Account to Close on Another Device?

There are possibilities here that are, perhaps, even more unsavory than having someone you know reading your mail. So first things first!

Access Denied!

Why Do I Need Another Email Address to Access My Account?

This is a system designed to help you recover your email account if something should go wrong… and things go wrong more often than you would like to think!

Windows XP

Is it worth upgrading to get Windows XP Mode?

Installing a recently unsupported operating system so you can use an email program that hasn’t been supported for years is something I’ll advise against. There are safer ways to go.

Giving a Thief Your Password?

Why Does this Email Message Ask Me to Enable HTML When It Already Is Enabled?

Viewing an email in HTML seems to be the default in the new Outlook.com. There is no easy way to change it. So why are you seeing this message?

Hacker's Hand

Why is mail getting automatically placed in a folder I didn’t create?

If you didn’t change the folder rules, then who did? I’ll show you how to fix this problem.

Emails Hacked!

If My Email Account is Hacked, What Kinds of Things Should I Check?

When a hacker has access to your email account, they can do anything — even change settings you know nothing about. Let’s take a look at some of the possible dangers.

URL in the Status Line

Can I Rely on the URL Shown in the Browser’s Status Bar Being Accurate?

There are both legitimate and malicious reasons why a link author may send you to a place that is different from the link showing in the status bar. Let’s look at why that may happen.

It's frightening, on the server side, to watch the constant attempts being made to brute force a way into email accounts. So it's safe to assume that if Google sent you a notification... someone got in!

Did Someone Log In to Google with My Password?

It’s frightening, on the server side, to watch the constant attempts being made to slowly brute force a way into email accounts. So it’s safe to assume that if Google notified you – someone got in!

Emails Hacked!

How Do I Protect My Email Address Book?

With email account hacking on the rise, it’s important to understand what it takes to keep your account (and its address book) safe from compromise.

Emails Hacked!

My mail account has a virus, how do I get rid of it?

Email accounts don’t get viruses. Depending on what you’re seeing, though there is something that email accounts do get, and that is: hacked.

A dimly lit room with an open laptop casting a soft glow on a table. The screen displays an email interface with an unread message icon, subtly hinting at communication from beyond. Around the laptop, personal items like a framed photo of a smiling group of friends, a wilted flower, and a candle casting long shadows, create a poignant atmosphere of loss and the unsettling feeling of receiving a message from someone who has passed away. The overall mood is one of contemplation and sorrow.

Why Am I Getting Email from a Dead Person?

It’s hard enough to experience the loss of a friend or a loved one. To get email from them thereafter can be very disturbing.

How Can I Trace Where Email Came From?

A good rule of thumb is to begin at the bottom and work your way up in the headers to determine where an email is from.