Improve the Security of Your System

Below, you’ll find foundational steps to take if you want to stay safer.

Two-Factor Authentication

Even before you apply encryption to your emails, one of the most important things to make sure to use is the two-factor authentication (2FA, or also 2-step verification) on every online account that supports it, but especially your email account. When this feature is enabled, you’ll need more than just your password to log into your Google account (and so will hackers), so it is a great way to protect your data.

Depending on your settings, this second form of verification could be a temporary security code from a 2FA app (such as Google Authenticator  or Authy ), or a verification code that you received as a text message. See Google 2-Step Verification .

We can’t underestimate the importance of 2FA, it’s the first thing you should do to protect all your online accounts. Don’t just stop with your email account - most online services these days offer a 2FA setup. Check their settings or contact their support and ask how to enable this feature.

FlowCrypt settings

You should set all your devices to require your passphrase before you open an encrypted email. This way, when you lose your device or it gets stolen, whoever has your device won’t have access to your encrypted emails.

Security updates

Check for any updates on your operating system as well as your browser. If you’re prompted to install updates, do it without delay to keep your system safe.

Full-Disk Encryption

This is one of the best options to get you out of trouble if your device is lost or stolen. When your device storage is encrypted, it’s very difficult to extract any information without your device’s passphrase.