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Why Is My Email Not Safe Even With a Password?
Germany’s security agency, known as BSI, wants to make your email safer. Right now, many email companies aren’t doing enough to protect you from hackers and identity theft.
What’s the Problem?
Most people use webmail services (like Gmail or Yahoo Mail that you open in your browser). These services are super important because:
- You use them to send messages every day
- Your email address unlocks many other accounts
- They hold personal information about you
But here’s the catch: many email providers only use passwords to keep your account safe. That’s like having just one lock on your front door when you could have three.
What BSI Discovered
The agency checked popular email services and found troubling patterns:
- Most services don’t turn on two-factor authentication automatically
- You have to dig through settings to add extra protection yourself
- Newer, safer options like passkeys aren’t easy to find or use
- Companies expect you to be a security expert
Who Should Fix This?
Caroline Krohn, who leads digital consumer protection at BSI, puts it simply: “Email companies need to step up. Right now, regular people are expected to understand complex security tools. That’s not fair.”
She believes providers should:
- Turn on strong security features by default
- Make protection work without you doing anything special
- Use encryption automatically
- Stop spam without your help
- Make account recovery simple and safe
What Happens Next?
BSI published a detailed guide for email companies. They’re calling it both a challenge and an invitation. The agency has been talking with email providers since early this year and plans to work with more companies soon.
Think of it this way: instead of teaching everyone how to build better locks, BSI wants companies to install those better locks from the start.