email encryption

SaferMobile: Mobile Email Security, Data Protection, and Anonymous Browsing Guides

Posted by ccarlon on Oct 14, 2011

For many, mobile devices are an indispensable tool for storing and sharing increasingly sensitive information. Contacts, emails, and mobile browsing history can easily be compromised without taking the proper measures to ensure that that information is safely in the right hands... and out of the wrong ones. Newly added to our mDirectory are the following how-to guides on securing mobile email, mobile anonymity, backups, and data deletion from our SaferMobile team: 

  • Securing Your Mobile Email - This guide catalogs the different tactics you can take to keep mobile email safe. It covers email security basics, TLS/SSL enabling, and email encryption. The guide also provides customized tactics and suggestions for Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Nokia/Symbian phones.
  • Mobile Tools for Backups, Data Deletion and Remote Wipe - Anyone who has ever had their phone stolen knows how frustrating and potentially dangerous that can be. Here we have a comprehensive review of some of the tools out there for data backup and restore, data deletion, and remote wipe.

For all other materials produced by the SaferMobile team, check out this complete list (and watch for a new SaferMobile site soon!)

Securing your Mobile Email

Posted by MelissaLoudon on Oct 14, 2011
Securing your Mobile Email data sheet 2117 Views
Author: 
SaferMobile
Abstract: 

Email wasn’t designed with security in mind. Unless you take steps to protect your communication, emails are sent in plain text - and so are your email account username and password.

At the same time, if you and your recipient are taking the appropriate security precautions, mobile email can be a secure and reliable alternative to other forms of mobile communication. If you have data service for your mobile, encrypted email can replace text messaging, and if you aren’t able to access a website securely to upload content - photos or videos for example - getting it to a trusted contact as an email attachment can be a safer alternative.

Email wasn’t designed with security in mind. Unless you take steps to protect your communication, emails are sent in plain text - and so are your email account username and password.

At the same time, if you and your recipient are taking the appropriate security precautions, mobile email can be a secure and reliable alternative to other forms of mobile communication. If you have data service for your mobile, encrypted email can replace text messaging, and if you aren’t able to access a website securely to upload content - photos or videos for example - getting it to a trusted contact as an email attachment can be a safer alternative.

This article suggests the following tactics for improving the security of your mobile email:

Email security basics

Even if you’re not using encrypted email, you can take some basic precautions to improve your email security. For example