In our current technological ecosystem, email accounts are the foundation of digital communications and digital identity. And they haven’t lost their charm—they’re still a magical part of personal correspondence. They’re used as login credentials for dozens of services—from shopping sites to social media platforms. As cyber threats increase in sophistication and frequency, protecting these accounts is imperative. Illustrative stock photo from Unsplash Security experts suggest adhering to these strategies when recovering an account and preventing unauthorized access.
Tips for Account Recovery and Prevention
Thank you to Microsoft and Google for their contributions in illustrating these crucial tips for users looking to regain a hijacked email account. Users can quickly and easily reset their passwords on these platforms. They should be able to authenticate their identity by answering security questions or confirming through other provided email addresses on file. Users should ideally stick to the browser they usually use when first trying to recover. This kind of consistency can go a long way toward making the process more efficient and increasing the likelihood of regaining access.
Additionally, allowing two-step verification goes an important step further by ensuring that just having an email account isn’t enough to access information. Creating a code-generating app increases your security. Secondly, it protects you from cybercriminals intercepting SMS text message authentication. Because SMS verification can be susceptible to SIM-swap and similar kinds of attacks, app-based verification is generally considered more secure.
Creating Strong Passwords
Developing a strong password is another key aspect of keeping your email account secure. Create a password that is no fewer than 12 characters in length. The longer the password, the more difficult it is to just bang through all possible passwords and get in! Putting seemingly unrelated words together is another great method for coming up with complex passwords. In addition, you can use a catchy lyric or quote to boost your password power. That said, it’s imperative to avoid very simple or easily guessable combinations like “123456” or “password.”
It’s important to keep two-step backup codes somewhere safe and secure. These codes create a secondary form of account recovery. They grow even more important when a user can no longer access their primary verification method.
The Importance of Email Security
Email accounts are still a tried-and-true form of communication, but the key to our online lives. Considering the power that they possess, it is unacceptable that their security is put in the hands of users. The impacts of a hacked email account are no joke. It provides hackers with backdoor access to all of your connected services, along with a wealth of personal information.
By implementing the best practices that tech giants such as Google and Microsoft recommend, people can take thoughtful steps toward improving their email security. Users can help safeguard their digital identities by making sure they’re frequently changing their passwords and using two-step verification. They need to use original recovery strategies to increase security.