What are the most secure email providers that will help to protect you from cyber attacks in 2021?
As a general rule, secure email providers offer end-to-end encryption, supports 2FA, and allow the user to import existing emails and contacts. The location of the email service is another crucial factor as it impacts privacy. Users also need to follow the best email security practices on top of a trusted provider to stay safe.
Here is our list of 5 email providers offering the most robust protection to take your email security to the next level.
1. ProtonMail
Found in 2014 at the CERN research facility, ProtonMail is currently the highest-rated secure email provider globally. The Swiss-based encrypted email provider has two servers located in Switzerland protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. ProtonMail was promoted in the US media as “The Only Email System The NSA Can’t Access.”
Any emails that you send via ProtonMail are end-to-end encrypted — meaning even ProtonMail cannot read your messages. Additionally, it does not ask for any personal information to sign-up or keeps any IP logs.
| Pros | Cons |
| Two-step verification | Limited cloud storage |
| End-to-end encryption | The paid version can be expensive |
| Free version available | Lacks customer service |
| Swiss-based servers | |
| Self-destruct functionality for messages | |
| Mobile apps available | |
| Zero-access construction |
2. Tutanota
Promoting the tagline “Secure email for everybody,” Tutanota is a German-based email service provider aiming to offer the maximum level of email security. It uses AES and RSA encryption standards that decrypt the messages directly on the recipient’s device.
The web interface is easy to use, allowing you to change an email’s privacy with just one click. It comes with 1 GB of email storage in the free version. Additional storage is also available in the Pro plan.
| Pros | Cons |
| Open source | Does not support IMAP |
| Automatic encryption for all information | Limited import function |
| Free version available | Limited features on the free version |
| Supports spam filtering | No search function |
| Does not require a phone number | |
| Includes 1 GB storage space | |
| Auto-reply and auto-forwarding |
3. Hushmail
The Canada-based email service is designed for users who want to keep their messages confidential. Hushmail uses OpenPGP protocol to encrypt the content of the email by securing connections using SSL/TLS. It offers both personal and business plans.
The mobile app of Hushmail supports two-step verification, Touch ID, and multiple accounts and aliases. However, Hushmail is not preferred as a primary email as it can be inaccessible often. The limited cloud storage space in the free version is another downside of the provider.
| Pros | Cons |
| Optional two-step verification | Occasionally inaccessible |
| Supports IMAP and POP | Only 25 MB of email storage |
| Free version available | Requires phone number and another email address for registering |
| 10 GB storage for the paid version | |
| Importing option for contacts | |
| Integrated spam filter | |
| Includes auto-responder |
4. CounterMail
CounterMail is a Swedish email service provider that has been offering secure email services for more than 10 years. It allows the safe execution of OpenPGP encrypted email with 4096-bit encryption keys in a browser. Additionally, it only stores encrypted emails on its servers.
The Swedish servers store data on CD-ROM only instead of hard drives, which prevents data leakage. Another added security layer that CounterMail provides is configuring a USB key to encrypt your email further. Although the USB device makes the decryption impossible, it complicates the process a little for the user.
| Pros | Cons |
| Does not store IP logs | Expensive compared to other providers |
| Supports IMAP | Free version not available |
| Includes integrated password manager (Safebox) | You cannot send encrypted emails to anyone outside CounterMail |
| All data are stored encrypted | |
| Integrated spam filter | |
| Includes auto-responder |
5. Mailfence
Headquartered in Belgium, Mailfence is an email provider focusing on security. It offers end-to-end encryption along with a built-in Keystore. It helps manage your OpenPGP encryption keys and allows you to send encrypted messages to anyone who doesn’t use PGP.
Mailfence offers 500 MB file storage for free and more space for paid accounts. Although they store the encryption keys on their server, they claim they cannot read it because it is encrypted with users’ passphrases.
| Pros | Cons |
| Importing options for contacts | Requires another email address to use |
| Supports two-factor authentication | Not open source |
| Includes digital email signatures | Private keys are stored on servers |
| All stored data are encrypted | |
| Includes spam blocker | |
| Includes calendar and document storage |
The increasing spam and phishing emails prove one thing — your email security is not sufficient. To maintain your privacy on the web and protect yourself from phishing attacks, you need to use secure email providers. However, if spammers gain access to your email address, your email security is still at risk even after using a secure provider. So, you need to make sure your email address does not exist anywhere on the web.
To check your email address visibility, go to Sniff Email — an online platform dedicated to finding out if your email address exists on the Internet. Enter your email address in the search field and click fetch to find out if your email address exists on the web within a few seconds. Based on the results, you can take appropriate action to remove it.
