Why Use Two Secure Email Services?
Ever heard the saying, "If I have two, I have one. If I have one, I have none"? Having layers of redundancy is an important strategy. Most people only think about one email account, but I often get asked why I use two secure email services. Let me explain why it's a smart move for your digital life.
First off, let's talk about privacy. Standard email providers often scan your emails to show you ads or track your online habits. But privacy focused, secure services like Proton and Tuta are different. They're built from the ground up to protect your privacy. They don't snoop on your data, and they actively block trackers and annoying ads. It's a much more private experience. Additionally, they also support more secure forms of user authentication, like a hardware token. (see "Privacy Tool Spotlight: Yubikey")
You might think having two email accounts is just for separating your work and personal messages. And while that's a good idea, there's a much bigger reason to consider it.
My Two-Email Strategy
I use Proton as my main email account. One of my favorite features is its "hide-my-email" option, which lets me create unique, alias email addresses for different websites. This helps keep my main email address private and reduces spam. And since an email address often serves as a User ID, it gives every service a unique User ID to avoid repeating information. (see "Privacy Strategy: Alias Email Addresses
But what if something goes wrong with Proton? What if their service has an issue, or the email address I use for important accounts gets exposed in a data breach? That's where Tuta comes in. Tuta is my dedicated backup email. It's an unknown email address that's used only for important recovery messages for critical accounts like Google or Apple. Think of it as my emergency contact for my most important online services.
Why This Setup Just Makes Sense
Always Connected: Reliability & Redundancy
Imagine your main email service suddenly stops working. You can't send messages, receive important updates, or even log into other accounts. It's like your digital life grinds to a halt. With a second email service, you're covered. If one service is down, you still have the other for urgent communications.
And if you're a bit more tech-savvy and use your own custom email address (like yourname@example.com), having a backup service means if your primary email address runs into trouble, you can quickly switch your custom email to the backup service with a simple update, getting you back online fast. Even if your main email account isn't hacked, if that email address gets compromised (meaning it's known to hackers), having a backup email address on file makes recovery for other services quick and easy.
Double the Protection: Enhanced Security
This dual-email approach helps contain problems. If the email address you use as your "username" on a particular website gets exposed in a data breach, your other email account remains safe and sound.
What's more, if your primary email address (the one you use to sign up for things - again consider alias email addresses) is compromised (meaning hackers know it and might try to use it), critical notifications about potential activity on those other accounts can be sent securely to your backup email. This gives you an immediate heads-up so you can act quickly. Plus, by using two services, you get to take advantage of the best security features each one offers.
Easy Access: Better Recovery Options
Think about how often you use email to recover passwords or confirm your identity for services like Google or Apple. These services often use your email address as your primary "user ID." Having a backup email on a separate service provides multiple secure ways to verify yourself and recover access, especially when you use multi-factor authentication.
If you ever forget your password for an online service, and the reset link goes to your primary email, you'll never miss that crucial password reset link because you have your secure backup. And here's a big one: in many cases, your backup email on the second service can even be used as an alternative login if your primary email account becomes unreachable or if the email address you use as your "user ID" is causing problems, providing a direct route back into your services.
No Single Point of Failure
Relying on just one email provider means you're completely dependent on them. If they change their rules, or their service quality drops, you're stuck. Using two services gives you freedom. You're not "locked in" to one company. For example, if you decide you want to switch to a different privacy-focused email service down the road, having that backup makes the transition much smoother.
In short, using two secure email services isn't just about having an extra option. It's about building a strong, secure, and reliable foundation for your entire digital life, especially when your email address is your digital ID everywhere. This strategy ensures you're never left in the dark if one service has an issue or if your primary email address (as an ID) becomes a target, providing vital pathways for alerts and access when you need them most.
Remember, we may not have anything to hide, but everything to protect.
