This article from Safer Mobile, a project of MobileActive.org, was written to help activists, human rights defenders, and journalists use safe email as a more secure and reliable alternative to other forms of mobile communication, such as texting and plain text emails. The following topic areas are discussed in more detail:
- Remembering basic email security precautions and vulnerabilities - password, deletion, spam, and viruses;
- Enabling TLS (Transport Layer Security, SSL - Security Secure Sockets Layer) for all email, and making sure your email provider supports it;
- Encrypting your email to certain contacts using OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) or S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions); and
- Using a web-based encrypted email provider, such as Hushmail.
This article is part of the information and tools provided by MobileActive.org, a network and resource on the use of mobile technology for social impact. "We provide data, information about software tools, and tactical how-to resources in a peer network of practitioners and technologists so that anyone who wants to use mobile tech to make the world a better place can indeed do so."
Email from MobileActive.org to The Communication Initiative on November 16 2011. Image credit: Bennett Office Technologies website