Email Forwarding Services: Protecting Your Privacy with Aliases

Today protecting your online privacy is more important than ever. Email forwarding services like addy.io and SimpleLogin have emerged as popular tools to help individuals safeguard their primary email addresses from spam, phishing attempts, and data breaches. In this post, we'll take a closer look at email aliases, their benefits, and how ProtonMail, a secure email provider, offers this feature to its users.

What are Email Aliases?

An email alias is a secondary email address that forwards all incoming emails to your primary email inbox. When you create an alias with a forwarding service like addy.io or SimpleLogin, you can use it to sign up for online services, newsletters, or any other situation where you need to provide an email address, without revealing your real email address.

Aliases act as a protective layer between your primary email and the outside world. If an alias starts receiving spam or unwanted emails, you can easily disable or delete it without affecting your main inbox. This allows you to maintain a clean and organized primary inbox while keeping your real email address private.

How Email Aliases Work

When you sign up for an email forwarding service, you'll be able to create multiple aliases associated with your primary email address. These aliases can be created on-demand or in advance, depending on your needs. Each alias will have a unique email address, typically in the format of "alias@forwardingservice.com" or "alias@yourdomain.com" if you're using a custom domain.

When someone sends an email to one of your aliases, the forwarding service receives the email and automatically forwards it to your primary email inbox.

This process is seamless and happens in real time, so you'll receive the email just as if it were sent directly to your primary address.

Some email forwarding services also allow you to reply to emails directly from your alias address. When you compose a reply, the service will automatically set the "From" field to your alias address, ensuring that your primary email address remains hidden from the recipient.

Benefits of Using Email Aliases

Using email aliases offers several key benefits for your online privacy and security:

1. Tracking who shares your email: If an alias starts receiving spam or unexpected emails, you can quickly identify who shared your email address without your consent.

2. Reducing risk after security breaches: By using a unique alias for each online service, you limit the potential damage to only the affected account in case of a data breach. This prevents attackers from gaining access to your other accounts that might share the same email address.

3. Organizing your inbox: You can create aliases for specific purposes, such as online shopping, project management, or newsletters. By setting up inbox rules to filter and manage emails based on the alias used, you can keep your primary inbox organized and clutter-free.

4. Creating multiple accounts on the same service: Aliases allow you to create multiple accounts on a single service without needing separate email accounts. This is particularly useful for testing purposes or managing different roles within the same platform.

ProtonMail's Built-in Alias Feature

ProtonMail, a secure email service known for its end-to-end encryption, offers email aliasing as a built-in feature for its paid subscribers.

Paid ProtonMail users can create additional ProtonMail addresses (e.g., alias@proton.me) or use a custom domain (e.g., alias@yourdomain.com). These addresses function like separate email accounts but are linked to your primary ProtonMail inbox. This option provides more flexibility and control over your aliases, making it ideal for businesses or individuals with specific branding needs.

How to Get Started with Email Aliases

Getting started with email aliases is simple. Here's a quick guide to help you begin:

1. Choose a forwarding service: Select a reputable email forwarding service like addy.io or SimpleLogin, or opt for a secure email provider with built-in aliasing, such as ProtonMail.

2. Create an account: Sign up for an account with your chosen service. Most services offer free plans with basic features, while paid plans provide additional benefits like custom domains and unlimited aliases.

3. Generate your first alias: Follow the service's instructions to create your first email alias. This usually involves selecting a username and domain (e.g., alias@addy.io or alias@simplelogin.co).

4. Use your alias: Provide your new alias instead of your primary email address when signing up for online services, newsletters, or any other situation where you need to share an email address.

5. Manage your aliases: Regularly review and manage your aliases through the service's web app or browser extension. Disable or delete aliases that start receiving spam or are no longer needed.

By following these simple steps, you can start protecting your online privacy with email aliases in no time.

Best Practices for Using Email Aliases

To make the most of email aliases and ensure your privacy remains protected, consider the following best practices:

1. Use unique aliases for each service: Create a new alias for each online service or platform you sign up for. This helps to compartmentalize your email activity and prevents cross-referencing of your aliases across different services.

2. Avoid using personal information in aliases: When creating aliases, avoid using personal information like your name, birth date, or location. Instead, opt for generic or random usernames that can't be easily linked back to you.

3. Regularly monitor and manage your aliases: Keep an eye on the email activity associated with your aliases. If an alias starts receiving spam or unwanted emails, consider deleting it and creating a new one.

4. Use strong, unique passwords: When signing up for services with your aliases, use strong, unique passwords for each account. This adds an extra layer of security and prevents unauthorized access to your accounts.

5. Enable two-factor authentication: Whenever possible, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on accounts associated with your aliases. This requires an additional form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone, to access your account, making it much harder for hackers to gain unauthorized access.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your email aliases remain effective tools for protecting your privacy online.

Conclusion

Email forwarding services and aliases provide a powerful tool for safeguarding your primary email address and maintaining online privacy. By using unique aliases for different services and purposes, you can minimize the risk of spam, phishing attempts, and data breaches, while keeping your primary inbox organized and clutter-free.

Whether you choose a dedicated forwarding service like addy.io or SimpleLogin, or utilize the built-in alias feature in ProtonMail, these tools can help you take control of your email privacy and security.

Embrace email aliases today and enjoy a more private and secure online experience.