Why You Should Consider Using Email Aliases
Most of us created our first email address when we were younger, and many of us still use them today.
Over the years we registered on multiple services and subscribed to many newsletters. As a result we received many mails from these services filling up our mailbox. But soon we realized that some of these mails are spam or phishing mails recognizable by their weird content, poor grammar or the unfamiliar sender.
Sometimes, services we registered for experience data breaches. In that process user emails can be exposed. If our mail was leaked in that breach, it will be only a matter of time until an attacker gets his hands on it to target us with phishing attempts. The more breaches our email appears in, the more phishing emails we will receive.
By visiting the website haveibeenpwned.com we can check if our email was exposed in data breach and at which service that breach occurred.
Email Alias Advantages
An email alias is an alternative email address that forwards incoming messages to our main inbox. By using an alias to register for services, we avoid the exposure of our primary email address. If a service experiences a data breach, only the alias is affected and not our primary email.
When using unique aliases for different services, we can easily identify the compromised service if we receive a phishing email. In case our alias has been compromised, we can simply delete it and create a new one to minimize spam and prevent further phishing attempts. By doing so we can add an extra layer of privacy and security to our email and accounts.
Creating Email Aliases
Most email service providers offer email aliases as part of their premium subscriptions. In some cases a custom domain may be required. Depending on the provider there may be no restrictions at all for the creation of aliases. But sometimes the amount of possible aliases is limited.
In case the email provider doesn’t support aliases or has strict restrictions, the use of third-party email forwarding services like addy.io (AnonAddy) or SimpleLogin could be considered. To use them fully without restrictions a subscription will be needed. In the case of addy.io it is also possibly to self host this service.
It would be best to create an entirely new email or use one that hasn’t been in a breach before applying this approach.
My service of choice is SimpleLogin. Mainly because of its user-friendly and intuitive mobile app which was incredibly useful in situations where I needed to create new aliases on the go.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I am simply sharing my personal experience after using both services. Also it has been a while since I last used addy.io. I recommend trying both to determine which one best suits your needs.
