Email is a convenient way to communicate with colleagues, clients, and friends. However, it is important to remember that email is not always private. Emails can be intercepted by hackers, government agencies, and even your own employer. If you need to send private information, it is important to take steps to protect it.
Yes, it is possible to send a private email.
However, it is important to understand that there is no such thing as 100% guaranteed security.
Even if you take all of the right precautions, there is always a risk (however small) that your email could be intercepted.
Email interception can occur as a result of:
To send a private email, you need to protect against both of these risks. This can be done by encrypting data and authenticating recipients.
Encryption scrambles message data so it's not readable to human eyes. Authentication protects the keys to decrypt message data, releasing them only once the right people have passed certain checks.
To truly protect an email, you need encryption to disguise a message 'end-to-end' (from sender to recipient) and authentication to verify that the recipient is the right person to unscramble a message for.
There are a number of different encryption methods that can be used to protect private emails. Here are the most common encryption types:
TLS encryption is suitable for everyday personal emails, and is used by most email providers including Outlook and Gmail.
However, if you want to send a truly secure email you should use AES-256 or PGP encryption and combine it with recipient authentication.
For military-grade security, appropriate for highly sensitive information, businesses should use AES-256 encryption to prevent breaches.
There are a number of different recipient authentication methods that can be used to secure emails. The most common methods are:
The best authentication method depends on the context and sensitivity of the information you're sending.
Consider factors like recipient familiarity and ease of use when choosing a method that balances security with practicality.
To send a truly private email, you should use a secure email service that utilises encryption and recipient authentication.
Choose the right methods based on your needs - for everyday emails, TLS might suffice, but highly sensitive information might require stronger measures like AES-256 and ID&V authentication.
For business use cases, review our rundown of the best secure email services to help you to protect sensitive data.