It's a bit of a misnomer to say that an email account gets
hacked. In almost every case of email account breach, technically it was the
password that was hacked. When someone gains access to an email account that
isn't theirs, they almost always will have authenticated to the email system
with a legitimate password.
Therefore, the key to protecting your email account is having a secure password.
First, never give your password to anyone for any reason. Never write your password down. If you absolutely trust someone to access your account for whatever reason, you may want to change your password to a temporary password which that person can borrow, and then change it back when they're finished. That way, you don't have to worry about that person inadvertently writing down your password, either.
Phishing scams are increasingly common. A phish attempt is when you receive an email or a link to a Web site that asks you for sensitive information, but the information is not sent to the alleged sender. Some of them ask for an email address and its associated password. No matter who appears to have sent the email, even the email provider itself, you should not send your password or any personal information to such requests.
Make sure your password isn't guessable. Avoid using your name or the names of family members or pets. Avoid using birthdays or other easy-to-guess numbers. If you do use familar words, try to modify them with numbers (for example, a 1 instead of an 'i').
If you ever suspect that your email was breached, change your password right away.
Therefore, the key to protecting your email account is having a secure password.
First, never give your password to anyone for any reason. Never write your password down. If you absolutely trust someone to access your account for whatever reason, you may want to change your password to a temporary password which that person can borrow, and then change it back when they're finished. That way, you don't have to worry about that person inadvertently writing down your password, either.
Phishing scams are increasingly common. A phish attempt is when you receive an email or a link to a Web site that asks you for sensitive information, but the information is not sent to the alleged sender. Some of them ask for an email address and its associated password. No matter who appears to have sent the email, even the email provider itself, you should not send your password or any personal information to such requests.
Make sure your password isn't guessable. Avoid using your name or the names of family members or pets. Avoid using birthdays or other easy-to-guess numbers. If you do use familar words, try to modify them with numbers (for example, a 1 instead of an 'i').
If you ever suspect that your email was breached, change your password right away.
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