Weak passwords make an email account easier to hack. There are other reasons too that make an email ID vulnerable to hacking. To protect yourself from the bad guys looking to breach your privacy you must take preventive measures.

What are the 5 Ways to Avoid Email ID Hacking?

1. Set a Strong Password

2. Change Password Recovery Information

3. Stay Away from Key-Loggers

4. Don’t Log-In on an Open Wi-Fi Connection

5. Avoid Logging-In from Public Computers

1. Create a Strong Password:

Creating a strong password for your email account is essential. Strong password is a combination of alpha-numeric and special characters. Type some characters in UPPER case and others in the Lower case. It gives you assurance that your password is hard to guess. Even though people around you may watch you while typing your password at a public place, they may not easily remember your password keys.

An example of a strong password is given below:

mpLC@sysPpL  (My Puppy Likes Cheese) (Password For your PayPal)

ILrs@sysFB (I Love Rainy Season) (Password For Facebook)

You should also make sure that the password you’re creating is easy to remember and not forgettable at all.

2. Change Password Recovery Information:

Recovery information includes security questions, alternative Email IDs and your mobile number. It is often used to validate the real owner of a particular email account.

When you click “I forgot my password” link, you’re redirected to Recovery Options page where you have to answer simple questions such as your birth date, birth place and so on. Then you enter new page where you have to enter alternative email id or your mobile which you have had entered while making the account so that you can receive a link to reset your password or get a code to verify your identity.

To avoid email ID hacking, you have to be very careful with this kind of recovery information. Go to Settings, type answer of your recovery question. Also provide alternative email id and mobile number.

3. Stay Away from Key-Loggers:

Key loggers are nothing but malicious programs that record your keystroke and screen contents. They usually run in background- without your knowledge and record each keystroke you press, your mouse clicks and screenshots as well. These these malicious tool send this information to the “bad guys” who analyze the information, extract and abuse your confidential information such as user name, password, bank details, etc.

The best way to stay away from key-loggers is to install a security software on your computer and keep it up-to-date. Alongside using Windows Update feature to download latest security updates released by Microsoft from time-by-time is a wise thing to secure your computer and browsers.

4. Don’t Log-In on an Open Wi-Fi Connection:

Wi-Fi internet users should be aware about the risks associated with open Wi-Fi connections. Anyone within range (usually a few hundred feet) could have access to your network conversation and perhaps hack your email id. Hence make sure to keep WPA encryption enabled.

5. Avoid Logging-In from Public Computers:

Do not use public computers like Cyber Cafes’ to log-in to your email accounts. They are usually handled in a very careless manner, lack security measures and are infected by viruses. Hence only use a safe and secure computer to avoid email id hacking.

One more thing to keep in mind NEVER set a single password to multiple email accounts. If the hacker got access to any of your email account then he can hack other accounts too. Change your passwords usually after a month.

AUTHOR BIO:

Nauman Lodhi is an IT and Digital Media Marketing Professional. He extensively writes on these issues. Here is one of his web sites which is meant to help users optimize their PCs and perform PC maintenance automatically: http://www.speedupmypc2012.com