When your alarm goes off in the morning, what’s the first thing you check?

• Protect your Yahoo mail account
• Secure your Gmail account
• Shield your Outlook account
• Safeguard your AOL mail
• 12 general rules for better email security

Protect Your Yahoo! Mail Account

In late 2014, hackers stole information associated with at least 500 million Yahoo! user accounts. This breach was publicly disclosed by Yahoo two years later on September 22, 2016. The data breach is the largest discovered in the history of the Internet. Specific details of material taken include names, email addresses, telephone numbers, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers, dates of birth, and encrypted passwords.

2. Set up two-step verification

3. Verify your recent activity

4. Deny apps that use less secure sign in

5. Secure your account with Yahoo Account Key

You’ll no longer need to remember complicated passwords when you use Yahoo Account Key to access your account. To sign in, tap “Yes” on the notification we send to your mobile phone. With Account Key enabled, there’s no password on your account, so no one other than you can sign in.

Secure Your Gmail Account

1. Review sign-in and security
2. See your personal info and privacy settings
3. Set your account preferences
4. Do a thorough Security checkup of your account
5. Do a detailed Privacy Checkup
6. Find your phone (if you have an Android device, of course)
7. And review your activity.

1. Do the Security checkup

• Check your recovery information: alternate email address and phone, so Google can contact you in case of suspicious activity in your account or if you accidentally get locked out.
• Check your connected devices: see if you’re logged into devices you don’t recognize and immediately sign out of those devices.
• Check your account permissions: “review the apps, websites, and devices connected to your Google Account”. See which app has access to what and remove certain apps, websites and devices if you no longer use them.
• Check your app passwords: here you can “generate passwords for apps that don’t use 2-Step Verification”. You should only use this feature for apps you really, deeply trust. (If you’re security savvy, you’ll know not to trust any apps.)
• Check your 2-step verification settings: see if your backup phone is correct and how many backups codes you have left. Should you want to change your 2-step verification settings, go to this page.

2. Do the Privacy Checkup

3. Review your sign-in & security settings

SIGNING IN TO GOOGLE

DEVICE ACTIVITY & NOTIFICATIONS

CONNECTED APPS & SITES

Shield your Outlook web account

1. Access your profile settings

• You can change your password
• See which devices you’re connected on and where they’re located
• And get help with your Microsoft account.

An account alias is an email address or phone number that you use to sign in to your Microsoft account. You can have multiple aliases, and use any of them with Microsoft services such as Outlook.com, Skype, OneDrive, Office, Xbox, Windows and more.

Your account’s primary alias is displayed on your Microsoft devices (such as a Windows PC, Xbox or Windows Phone), and you can choose a different alias to be the primary one at any time. Learn more about account aliases.

2. Tighten your security and privacy settings

• Change your password
• See your recent activity
• Explore more security settings
• Manage permissions for other apps connected to your account
• And find out how Microsoft uses your data.
• Change your password
• Set up alternate email addresses and phone numbers
• Modify your security alert options
• Change sign-in preferences
• Set up two-step verification
• Set up the Microsoft identity verification apps (learn more about identity verification apps)
• Create app passwords
• Replace your account recovery code
• Review your trusted devices
• And close your account (if you want to).

It’s all rather simple, so I’m sure you’ll have no challenge in building up your account’s security.

Safeguard your AOL mail

12 general rules for better email security

1. Separate your email addresses.

2. Put a bit of effort into your password hygiene

3. Protect your smartphone

4. Log into your email accounts from a secure browser

5. Don’t connect apps to your email account

6. Stop oversharing private information

• Never share private information on social media networks (where your house is, how big it is, where your relatives live, etc.)
• Never use family names, dates of birth, pet names and the like as passwords
• Never reply to suspicious emails with sensitive information (like your card details, social security number, etc.)
• Never give away your email address to just anyone who asks for it (also, that’s why you should have multiple email addresses)
• Check your email account activity regularly for any suspicious activity
• Not befriend anyone you meet online without questioning their motivations.

7. Don’t jump connecting to any free public Wi-Fi network

8. Don’t store default passwords

9. Keep your eyes peeled for phishing and scams

• don’t click suspicious links in emails
• don’t reply an email if you’re not sure about the sender
• don’t download or click on email attachments that seem unsafe.

10. Keep your software up to date

11. Get inside the attacker’s head

12. Don’t leave your protection to chance. Use available tools

EASY AND RELIABLE. WORKS WITH ANY ANTIVIRUS.