February 2022

ProtonMail secure email

ProtonMail is an encrypted email service that takes a radically different approach to email security.

In 2014 the Swiss company ProtonMail became the first email service to protect data with end-to-end encryption, and today is one of the most popular secure email services.

The idea behind ProtonMail is only you have access to your inbox - this means no advertisers, governments, ProtonMail themselves or third parties gaining access to your data. ProtonMail ensures your private communications stay private.

ProtonMail is incorporated in Switzerland, which means all user data is protected by strict Swiss privacy laws.

Security

Here are the central ProtonMail privacy and security features:

When setting-up an account ProtonMail will ask you for the usual username and password. There will also be a separate inbox password used to encrypt your inbox data. The service includes two factor authentication and a free ProtonVPN account.

ProtonMail use end-to-end encryption and zero access encryption to secure your emails. This means even ProtonMail themselves can't decrypt and read your messages. As a result, your encrypted emails cannot be shared with third parties, such as advertisers .

ProtonVPN

Each ProtonMail account includes access to a free ProtonVPN account. This service enables private and secure internet access through their Virtual Private Network of intermediary servers. It means that you're not browsing the web directly but through the guise of an IP address of one of their servers.

Encrypted Email

ProtonMail also allows users to send end-to-end encrypted emails to non-ProtonMail users. This works by sending a link to the recipient which loads an encrypted message onto their browser. The recipient will then be able to decrypt your email using a passphrase you can share with them.

Free and Paid Accounts

The free account level includesa 1 user, 500 MB storage, 1 @protonmail.com address, 150 messages per day and 3 folders.

Paid for personal accounts include increased storage, email addresses, folders and labeling from $48 per year.

Budiness accounts include additional users, custom domain names and user management from $75 per year.

protonmail.com

Let’s build something great together

I’m Keith, a web developer based in Belfast. From fast, efficient PHP builds to Shopify stores and secure WordPress or Magento setups, I help businesses create websites that perform and grow.

Let’s talk about your next project

More Security posts

Simple steps to protect your privacy online

In today’s digital world, protecting your privacy online has become essential. With personal data constantly being shared, stored, and potentially accessed by unauthorised parties, safeguarding your privacy can help you…

Continue reading

Simple Analytics: A privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics

In an era where digital privacy concerns are at the forefront of online discourse, many organisations are reassessing their tools to ensure compliance with data protection laws and maintain user…

Continue reading

Web application security testing

With the increasing dependency on web applications in daily operations, securing these applications is paramount to safeguarding data and protecting against breaches. This blog post covers the essentials of Web…

Continue reading

Cookieless website tracking and analytics

Cookieless website tracking is a method of collecting analytics data and monitoring website behaviour without the need for traditional browser cookies. Traditionally, cookies have been a key component in tracking…

Continue reading