Tips to Secure Your Yahoo Email

By Paul Liu
Saturday, May 31st, 2014

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Yahoo is one of the oldest and biggest email service providers on the web. The Yahoo Email service was launched in 1997 and it is currently the third largest email network with more than 275 million users. But the service has had a checkered record as far as security is concerned since there have been many instances of hackers stealing Yahoo accounts within the last few years. In this article, we will list down several methods through which you would be able to secure your Yahoo email account.

1) Choose an exceptionally strong password – Since your Yahoo account’s password is your best defense against hackers and criminals, you must choose an exceptionally strong password to protect it. Choose a long password (the longer the better) having both lowercase and uppercase letters mixed with special characters and numbers. Do not include your name, location, zip code or any other information that could be easily guessed or obtained from other avenues (for example, your Twitter account or Facebook profile).

For the highest possible level of security, it is advisable to use a password generator to generate extremely secure passwords and password manager to manage all your passwords. Also, make sure to fill in password reset information (secret question, mobile number and alternate email address) so that you are able to recover your account even if gets compromised. Yahoo even allows you to specify trusted email addresses and phone numbers (which could belong to your friends or relatives) to maximize your chances of getting your account back.

2) Use sign-in seal – If you log into your Yahoo account from the same computer every time then you can use a sign-in seal to avoid becoming a victim of a phishing attack. When you enable the sign-in seal feature, Yahoo will display a secret message or image every time you sign into your account. If the picture or message appears different then you can be sure that you have landed on a phishing website instead of Yahoo.

3) Use second sign-in verification – For extra security, you should also enable second sign-in verification. When you enable the option, you need to enter a security code or answer the security question in addition to providing your account credentials. This will ensure that hackers are not able to access your account or steal your personal information even if they have your Yahoo account login and password details.

4) Manage apps and websites – Yahoo allows you to grant account access to third party apps and websites to support specific functions or services. However, you should only grant access to reliable apps and websites that have a strong reputation on the web. Also, remember to revoke access to a particular app/website in case you do not use it any more.

5) Check Recent Activity – For total security, you should make a habit of checking your account’s recent login activity from time to time. This information is available under “Sign-In and Security” within your Yahoo account. The list displays location (or IP address), browser and timestamp of the recent login attempts so if you notice any unusual activity (access from a new location or device), change your password and other security parameters immediately.

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