Protecting your emails just got easier, with S/MIME and other security updates

We've always prided ourselves on being a secure and reliable email hosting platform. Constantly adding new security features and upgrading the existing ones has helped us keep it that way.

With our recent security updates, businesses will be well-equipped to enhance the privacy and security of their email communications.

An additional line of defense for your emails

Walking into a room, you see two vaults. First is a modest vault with a simple lock on it. Second is an elaborate vault with three different types of locks. Which would you prefer to store your valuables? More often than not, the answer would be the latter. The simple reason is that, while the first vault is safe, with the additional security of the second, you can minimize the risk of any breach.

With documents and confidential information being exchanged frequently via email, the Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (S/MIME) enhances your email security much like the vault with extra locks.

Zoho Mail's S/MIME uses asymmetric cryptography to enhance the confidentiality and authenticity of your emails. It comes with two security services: Encryption in transit & Digital signatures.

With S/MIME, the content of your email is encrypted using keys and then transported to the recipient. By encrypting your emails in transit, not only can you keep confidential data out of the wrong hands, but you can also rest assured that your emails cannot be tampered with.

Now that your data is protected, the only other concern is spoofing. This is where S/MIME's digital signature comes in. With each email being signed with your unique key, you can eliminate the risk of anyone impersonating you. Since the digital signature works both ways, it also helps you ascertain the identity of the sender in the S/MIME protected emails that land in your inbox.

Note: S/MIME is only available for users of the Zoho Workplace Professional plan, Zoho Mail Premium plan, Zoho One suite and the previously available Zoho Workplace Enterprise plan. Upgrade to these plans to enjoy the perks of this feature.

Always stay in the loop

Zoho Mail will keep you informed of the security level of your emails. With the Encryption level indicator in the header of each email, a glance is all it takes to identify the encryption status of the email. Being aware of the security level of your emails will help you plug the leaks in your email communications.

Fighting spam, one email at a time 

Most of us usually send or receive emails in one language, maybe two. Emails you receive in languages other than your own are likely spam. With Zoho Mail's Language-based Spam filters, you can now make sure they aren't cluttering your inbox.

The multiple spam checks we have in place filter out spam emails before they end up in your inbox. However, it's not always entirely black or white. Emails that have an unverified sender, but aren't necessarily spam, are marked with a Spam warning banner. You can then choose to mark them as spam or keep them in your inbox.

More than meets the eye

While display names give you the sender's identity at a single glance, they might not necessarily match with the associated email address. Sometimes they can be used in an attempt to spoof identity. In addition to our spam checks, the below-mentioned features also work to prevent such spoofing:

When you receive an email from anyone who isn't in your contacts, the email listing and preview will display the email address of the sender instead of the display name, allowing you to verify it for yourself.

Changing display names comes with a restriction to curb spoofing. After the first five times, display names can only be changed once every ten days. 

While we come up with more such ways to protect your data, please try out these new features, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Check out our Security and Privacy pages to find out more!

Get the complete Zoho advantage: you can now use Zoho Mail along with the broad suite of products that Zoho offers by signing up for Zoho Workplace or Zoho One.