Email may be fast and convenient, but it often lacks protections to keep our messages truly private. Shockingly, over 267 million email accounts were breached in 2022 alone according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Whether you‘re a regular Gmail user or manage an entire organization, confidential information deserves precautions beyond standard email encryption. The good news? Safeguarding important communications is easy once you know how.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through enabling enhanced email security on Gmail, plus share expert techniques to keep your account and data safe. Read on to lock down your inbox!
Why Email Encryption Matters
Before we dive into the how-to, let me underscore why going the extra mile to encrypt emails is critical in today‘s digital world:
Almost a third of all data breaches happen via email. That‘s according to statistics from Egress Software Technologies, with email being the #1 delivery mechanism for malware and ransomware attacks on businesses and individuals alike.
Beyond external threats, standard email lacks protections once messages reach your recipients‘ inboxes. Confidential info could easily be:
- Shared via forwards
- Screen captured
- Copied and pasted
- Printed
And without encryption, any emails stored on servers are vulnerable behind-the-scenes as well.
Real-World Fallout
Lax email security has led to major leaks over the years:
Sony Pictures – The 2014 Sony hack resulted in the public release of over 200 GB worth of private internal data including executive emails.
Hillary Clinton – During the 2016 election, WikiLeaks published thousands of Democratic National Committee emails obtained by hackers.
Jeff Bezos – The Amazon CEO allegedly had his phone hacked after receiving a video file over WhatsApp leading to private photos and texts being leaked.
And those are just high-profile examples – individuals and small businesses fall victim to email data theft at staggering rates every single day.
Clearly, standard email protocols don‘t cut it for sharing confidential, personal or work-related data. Read on and I‘ll explain how you can leverage Gmail security tools to lock down your inbox…
Overview of Gmail Protection Options
Gmail actually offers two tiers of email security:
1. Free Confidential Mode – This basic level of protection lets you set expiration dates and passcodes for individual messages. Great for the average user looking to beef up privacy.
2. Paid Workspace Email Encryption – For businesses and power users, Gmail Workspace unlocks robust S/MIME encryption with support for encrypted Office docs, email revocation and more.
Here‘s an at-a-glance comparison:
| Feature | Free Confidential Mode | Workspace Encryption |
|---|---|---|
| Expiration Dates | ✅ | ✅ |
| ID Verification | SMS Passcodes | S/MIME Certificates |
| Revokable Access | ✅ | ✅ |
| End-to-End Encryption | ❌ | ✅ |
| Encrypted Office Files | ❌ | ✅ |
| Per-Message Protection | ✅ | ❌ (All Emails Encrypted) |
And the best part? Both free and paid users alike can utilize confidential messages to handle personal or one-off emails requiring security.
So whether you just want to boost your existing Gmail protection or take your business encryption to the next level, let‘s get you set up…
Step-by-Step Guide to Sending Secure Gmail Messages
Ready to make your communications more private?
Enabling secure email functionality is the same whether you access Gmail on your desktop, phone or any device with just a few clicks.
We‘ll focus on toggling on confidential mode here:
Access Gmail and Start an Email
First, pull up Gmail on your computer or mobile app and log into your account. Click the compose button to start a new email as usual.
Look for the Confidential Mode Icon
On desktop, you‘ll see a padlock icon on the bottom right. On mobile, tap the overflow menu in the top-right and select confidential mode. This starts the encryption process.
Set an Expiration and Confirmation Code
Choose when you want the email to expire from the recipient‘s inbox. For an extra layer of protection, you can require a single-use SMS passcode to view the message.
Finish Your Email and Hit Send
Address the recipients, add attachments, compose your body text and send as normal. The encryption happens in the background – only your intended recipient(s) will be able to access it.
And that‘s really all there is to it! The recipient‘s view is clearly marked secure and deletion happens automatically based on your set expiration timestamp.
For detailed visual walkthroughs of enabling confidential mode on desktop and mobile, see here.
Now that you know how to encrypt individual emails, let‘s talk about some pro tips and best practices to lock down your Gmail security at large…
Beyond Encryption: 4 Expert Gmail Account Security Tips
Pop quiz – how strong is your Gmail password? If you‘re like most people, probably not strong enough.
Did you know around 25% of hacked Google accounts showed no signs of malware, phishing or viruses? They appeared to be brute force attacks that eventually guessed weak passwords according to Google research.
Obviously, encryption means little if someone can simply guess their way into your account. Use these expert-backed tactics to go beyond confidential emails and truly secure your inbox:
1. Complex, Unique Passwords
The single best thing you can do is creating strong, unique passwords for every service you use.
At minimum, your Gmail should have:
- 12+ characters mixing letters, numbers and symbols
- No dictionary words or personal info in the password
- No reuse across any other accounts/sites
This exponentially decreases the odds of someone randomly guessing or using previous breaches to access your email.
2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
2FA adds a second layer of identity confirmation beyond just a password.
After entering your password, Google will send a code to your phone that you must also enter before successfully logging in.
So even if someone has your actual password, they still can‘t access your account! Over *90% of successful corporate cyber attacks involves stolen passwords – 2FA renders these useless.
3. Password Manager
Given the complexity requirements above, how do you actually remember unique 12-character passwords for every service?
You don‘t!
That‘s where encrypted password managers like LastPass, 1Password or Dashlane come in.
These tools securely store passwords behind one master passphrase. Enable 2FA on your password manager account too for total protection.
4. Recognize Phishing Attempts
The previous tips stop brute force attacks, but attackers can also trick you through social engineering and phishing emails.
Phishing was involved in 36% of corporate data breaches.
Watch for:
Suspicious links – hover over any links to preview the real destination
Spelling errors
Requests for sensitive info – banks don‘t ask for passwords/SSNs over email
Stay vigilant, especially on mobile where it‘s easier to make a mis-tap.
Putting It All Together
Phew, we‘ve covered quite a lot around securing your email!
Here are the key takeaways:
Standard email protocols are rife with privacy, security and compliance issues.
Enable Gmail‘s free Confidential Mode to encrypt individual messages requiring extra protection.
For business use, upgrade to paid Workspace plans enabling full S/MIME encryption.
Lock down your account itself using strong passwords, 2FA, password managers and phishing awareness.
Taking these steps ensures your messages stay between you and intended recipients without unauthorized access or accidental leaks.
Be smart and proactive about security to avoid becoming another email privacy statistic! We‘ve experienced hundreds of millions of breaches to date, but the tools exist to protect yourself if you take action.
Stay safe out there and happy encrypted emailing! Let me know if any questions come up.
JR
