Email Account Services & Practices

**Strengthening Your Email Security Posture: A Comprehensive Guide**

---

### **Introduction to Email Security Concerns**

In today's digital age, email has become an indispensable tool for communication, managing online accounts, and conducting business. However, the reliance on a single email account can be risky. If you're like Dan, who uses Gmail as their primary email address for all critical online services, including banking and medical accounts, the thought of losing access to this email account is terrifying. This article addresses Dan's concerns and provides actionable recommendations to strengthen your email security posture.

---

### **The Importance of a Recovery Email**

Google frequently sends alerts to users reminding them to "help strengthen the security of your Google account" by adding a recovery email. However, for many individuals, including Dan, this poses a problem: they don't have an alternative email account. Relying solely on one email account can leave you vulnerable to being "digitally frozen," as illustrated by the New York Times article Dan referenced. In that case, a user's Google Photos account was mistakenly flagged as containing child sexual abuse material, leading to the freezing of their account and significant difficulty in regaining access.

This scenario highlights the importance of having a backup recovery email address. Just as you back up your files or create multiple password options, you should ensure you have a way to regain access to your email if something goes wrong.

---

### **Recommendations for Strengthening Your Email Security**

1. **Consider Paying for Your Email Service**

If you value your email and want it to serve your needs without unnecessary restrictions, consider paying for an email service. While some may not have the budget for this, it is worth exploring if it aligns with your financial capabilities.

2. **FastMail: A Strong Backup or Primary Option**

FastMail is a highly recommended email provider. It offers robust features and functionality that make it a strong contender as either a backup or primary email service. Many users find themselves switching to FastMail as their primary account, with Gmail serving as the recovery option.

3. **Avoid Yahoo at All Costs**

Do not use Yahoo for your backup or primary email needs. It is generally considered a subpar choice and has faced significant security issues in the past.

---

### **Using Apple or Microsoft Accounts as Backup Options**

If you own an Apple device, creating an Apple account can serve as an excellent backup option. Even if you don't currently have an Apple device, setting up an Apple account is free and provides a seamless integration with your existing ecosystem. For those who prefer Microsoft services, creating a free Microsoft account (formerly Hotmail) is another viable alternative.

These options are particularly useful for individuals who may not wish to invest in paid email services but still need reliable backup solutions.

---

### **Exploring FastMail and Other Options**

FastMail stands out as a premium choice due to its advanced features. However, if you prefer to keep Gmail as your primary account, consider exploring other backup options, such as:

- Creating a dedicated backup email address through domain hosting services like Hover. This can provide an additional layer of security for your online accounts.

---

### **Maintaining Gmail While Trying New Services**

If you're hesitant to abandon Gmail entirely, rest assured that you don't have to. Many users successfully maintain Gmail as their primary account while exploring alternative services like FastMail. In fact, FastMail offers excellent import tools that allow you to sync with Gmail without disrupting your current workflow.

However, keep in mind that managing multiple email accounts can be complex for some users. It requires careful consideration of your needs and preferences.

---

### **Conclusion**

In the digital world we live in today, email security cannot be overstated. By taking proactive steps such as adding a recovery email, exploring alternative email providers like FastMail, or using Apple or Microsoft accounts as backups, you can significantly reduce the risk of being "digitally frozen." Remember, the right choice for you depends on your specific needs and circumstances.

Dan, rest assured that you're already on the right track by considering these steps. By implementing these recommendations, you'll be well-prepared to handle any email-related challenges that may arise in the future.

---

### **Additional Tips**

- **Secure Your Passwords:** Use strong, unique passwords for your email accounts and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible.

- **Monitor Account Activity:** Regularly check your email accounts for suspicious activity and update your security settings as needed.

- **Consider a Password Manager:** If you're using multiple email accounts or complex passwords, a password manager can help you stay organized and secure.

By following these tips and the recommendations provided, you'll be better equipped to protect your digital assets and maintain access to your email accounts in even the most challenging scenarios.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is Twi let us move on to our next question which comes from Dan and this is another question I really I thought was a great one so Dan says I was wondering if you had any recommendations about strengthening my email security posture first of all love love love love uh the use there I use Gmail for my personal email I occasionally receive emails from Google telling me quote help strengthen the security of your Google account unquote by adding a recovery email for this email account the problem is I don't have another email account I'm growing increasingly reliant on this email address as it's the registered email for all of my online accounts including very important things like banking medical Etc should I create another email account like a second Gmail or a Yahoo Etc or something else as recovery more broadly and On a related note is there an email service I should be using that is less risky for losing access to my account I saw this and I'll mention what this is in a moment and would hate to lose my email access for something like this and be be a bit digitally Frozen the uh Dan linked to the New York Times piece about the individual who had in their own personal I think it was their Google photos if it wasn't their Google photos um it was elsewhere but essentially they had posted photos and that were that were not actually uh child sexual abuse material but Google's automatic scans thought they were child sexual abuse material and therefore um resulted in that account being frozen and it was almost impossible to get in touch with Google to say no you've got this wrong we need to you know address this I need to gain access to these accounts because I use them for work I use them for business etc etc etc so Dan understandably a little worried about being um digitally frozen out and I think that this is a great question so here's the thing I think that what Leo has said in the past is absolutely um true that if you care about email and if you are worried about your email uh and if you want email that is just there to serve you as email then you should be paying for your email I understand that some folks can't do that it's not in the budget but I want to give you the best suggestion that I have before I make another suggestion to you and that would be getting a FastMail account now FastMail has been a sponsor on the network in the past so I just want to let you know that but I was using uh fast mail before they had become a sponsor on the network they are a great email provider and so having that as your backup or you may find that after you get it you decide to make it your primary with Gmail as your backup is a really good idea yes uh Dan I think regardless of what choice you make you should have a backup recovery email 100% in the same way that we've got backups of our files and backups of uh you know our our password options you should be making sure that you've got a way to access your email if you ever lose access to your email so regardless of what you choose get something else now with FastMail you are going to have access to a whole lot of different features and functionality that I won't go into um but there's another suggestion that I would make to you well actually two more suggestions the first suggestion is no do not use Yahoo under no circumstances do I think it is a good idea for you to use Yahoo don't do it um if you have any Apple devices then I would suggest creating an Apple account you can create one for free uh even if you don't have an Apple device the reason know why I say if you have an Apple device is because it's just then it's kind of an easy integration you probably already have an Apple account but just haven't set up the email yet so that's a great backup option in that case I would use it as just a backup um because it's not noticeably better than what Google provides in terms of mail unlike with FastMail where it is so just use that as the backup option but have it there if you need it and to set up that recovery email or create a Microsoft account and have a uh a Microsoft email I'm not sure what they're doing at this point if it's at live I know it used to be hot mail but I know it's not hot mail anymore but yeah that's another option for you is to just create a free Microsoft account that's particularly if you're not um you know an iOS user an Android User excuse me if you're not an iOS user uh if you do use Android then yes Gmail would have been your first choice so you do need to have that backup it's worth investing in email um even if you just it's not as great an option but even if you just want to have Webmail as part of your domain that's where I would recommend hover um who has also been a sponsor on the network but hover has good web mail um as an option for you and this would be a great backup so you could get you know Dan whatever your you know your last name uh.com or dan. email might be available probably not but maybe and then just use that as your backup email address for Recovery I'm not going to shame you for using Gmail or uh make you feel like it's not a great idea to have it at as your primary lots of people do that and lots of people do just fine with that we only hear about the nightmare situations where things like that happen but you're taking the right choice you're making you're taking the right steps you're making the right choice Dan by deciding to figure out what you need to do in terms of um recovery so yeah use set up a recovery email wherever you choose fast mail is great you may find that you end up replacing it uh an Apple account a Microsoft account if you're looking for something free and just want to have it as a backup so that is uh my suggestion to you and yes as Wizarding has Point has pointed out um FastMail can and does import and access your Gmail account so you can keep using that while you're using FastMail that can get a little complex for people um so I know that that's you know something to to bear in mind however it is um one option for you yeah they do I will say they have very good import tools for surethis is Twi let us move on to our next question which comes from Dan and this is another question I really I thought was a great one so Dan says I was wondering if you had any recommendations about strengthening my email security posture first of all love love love love uh the use there I use Gmail for my personal email I occasionally receive emails from Google telling me quote help strengthen the security of your Google account unquote by adding a recovery email for this email account the problem is I don't have another email account I'm growing increasingly reliant on this email address as it's the registered email for all of my online accounts including very important things like banking medical Etc should I create another email account like a second Gmail or a Yahoo Etc or something else as recovery more broadly and On a related note is there an email service I should be using that is less risky for losing access to my account I saw this and I'll mention what this is in a moment and would hate to lose my email access for something like this and be be a bit digitally Frozen the uh Dan linked to the New York Times piece about the individual who had in their own personal I think it was their Google photos if it wasn't their Google photos um it was elsewhere but essentially they had posted photos and that were that were not actually uh child sexual abuse material but Google's automatic scans thought they were child sexual abuse material and therefore um resulted in that account being frozen and it was almost impossible to get in touch with Google to say no you've got this wrong we need to you know address this I need to gain access to these accounts because I use them for work I use them for business etc etc etc so Dan understandably a little worried about being um digitally frozen out and I think that this is a great question so here's the thing I think that what Leo has said in the past is absolutely um true that if you care about email and if you are worried about your email uh and if you want email that is just there to serve you as email then you should be paying for your email I understand that some folks can't do that it's not in the budget but I want to give you the best suggestion that I have before I make another suggestion to you and that would be getting a FastMail account now FastMail has been a sponsor on the network in the past so I just want to let you know that but I was using uh fast mail before they had become a sponsor on the network they are a great email provider and so having that as your backup or you may find that after you get it you decide to make it your primary with Gmail as your backup is a really good idea yes uh Dan I think regardless of what choice you make you should have a backup recovery email 100% in the same way that we've got backups of our files and backups of uh you know our our password options you should be making sure that you've got a way to access your email if you ever lose access to your email so regardless of what you choose get something else now with FastMail you are going to have access to a whole lot of different features and functionality that I won't go into um but there's another suggestion that I would make to you well actually two more suggestions the first suggestion is no do not use Yahoo under no circumstances do I think it is a good idea for you to use Yahoo don't do it um if you have any Apple devices then I would suggest creating an Apple account you can create one for free uh even if you don't have an Apple device the reason know why I say if you have an Apple device is because it's just then it's kind of an easy integration you probably already have an Apple account but just haven't set up the email yet so that's a great backup option in that case I would use it as just a backup um because it's not noticeably better than what Google provides in terms of mail unlike with FastMail where it is so just use that as the backup option but have it there if you need it and to set up that recovery email or create a Microsoft account and have a uh a Microsoft email I'm not sure what they're doing at this point if it's at live I know it used to be hot mail but I know it's not hot mail anymore but yeah that's another option for you is to just create a free Microsoft account that's particularly if you're not um you know an iOS user an Android User excuse me if you're not an iOS user uh if you do use Android then yes Gmail would have been your first choice so you do need to have that backup it's worth investing in email um even if you just it's not as great an option but even if you just want to have Webmail as part of your domain that's where I would recommend hover um who has also been a sponsor on the network but hover has good web mail um as an option for you and this would be a great backup so you could get you know Dan whatever your you know your last name uh.com or dan. email might be available probably not but maybe and then just use that as your backup email address for Recovery I'm not going to shame you for using Gmail or uh make you feel like it's not a great idea to have it at as your primary lots of people do that and lots of people do just fine with that we only hear about the nightmare situations where things like that happen but you're taking the right choice you're making you're taking the right steps you're making the right choice Dan by deciding to figure out what you need to do in terms of um recovery so yeah use set up a recovery email wherever you choose fast mail is great you may find that you end up replacing it uh an Apple account a Microsoft account if you're looking for something free and just want to have it as a backup so that is uh my suggestion to you and yes as Wizarding has Point has pointed out um FastMail can and does import and access your Gmail account so you can keep using that while you're using FastMail that can get a little complex for people um so I know that that's you know something to to bear in mind however it is um one option for you yeah they do I will say they have very good import tools for sure\n"