Welcome to 2012, the time when email hacking is here, there and everywhere.
Is it ok? No, it’s not.
Are the authorities coming up with ways how to stop it or at least monitor it? According to recent reports, phone hacking activity monitoring operation, called Weeting, has 120 skilled staff on it, while the email hacking monitoring operation had only 8 officers.
Let me do the math for you, the probability of your email being hacked into is pretty high and the possibility of the authorities spotting it is (unless one of the officers just by luck looked at your email at the exact time when the burst in was happening) equals to roughly zero.
Excuse my very summary-like math, however it may be very correct. MP Tom Watson also agreed with it when he told the Independent:
“It seems bizarre that the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, would only have such a small team investigating such serious allegations that go to the heart of the political system.”
There are of course ways how to lessen the probability of getting your email busted. These too will have a limited effect against the smartest of hackers – but it might just help.
1. Change your password monthly;
2. Make sure your password is a random combination of letters and numbers or just looks like you fell asleep on the keyboard, for instance: u3y849werju89;
3. Answer the verification question with a lie that only you would know. It might help saying that your mum’s maiden name was Smith even if it was Brown. Just in case one of your best friends is a closet hacktivist.
4. Don’t know the sender – don’t open the email. Especially those which have good news as their subject such as “You just won £1m”. No, you did not.
Better safe than sorry, right?