There are a few things you need to do in order to keep your e-mail account safe:

  • Taking proper care of the security of your own devices. Passwords are often stolen via malware. If a device of yours is compromised, and you check your mailbox through it, the hackers may obtain your login credentials.
  • Using only trusted devices to check your e-mail. Logging via a shared computer at a hotel or an Internet cafe should be avoided. Such an insecure device could be infected with malware, or it may have a key logger installed on it intentionally.
  • Choosing strong passwords, and changing them regularly. You can find general information on how to choose a strong password and secure it in our Password tips article.
  • Connecting over an encrypted connection. Our Webmail interfaces use encryption by default. If you use a stand-alone e-mail program, you can find detailed instructions for the most popular e-mail programs in the Configuring an e-mail program section from our online documentation.

If your mailbox gets compromised, the attackers may use it to relay spam, or they may manually look through your stored messages for data that may be valuable for them. It is also possible that your login credentials will be sold in bulk along with more compromised accounts to other malicious entities who will utilize them as they decide.