The Zero Access encryption means that ProtonMail can never hand over specific email data, however, under Swiss law they can be forced to hand over metadata, including IP addresses, when presented with a valid Swiss, and only Swiss, court order. ProtonMail’s security features and stance make it ideal for anyone with privacy concerns about traditional email providers, or anyone wanting to communicate sensitive information, such as companies with data security requirements, or journalists living under oppressive regimes. This should also help to indicate how much the company values security and privacy, on top of the Swiss reputation for being champions of privacy and security. ProtonMail’s servers are located in a guarded former nuclear bunker in the Swiss Alps under a kilometre of granite, making it almost infeasible for any attacker to ever be able to gain unauthorised access to the infrastructure. The decryption key can be set to expire after a certain amount of time, after which the message becomes unreadable forever. Emails sent to third party email providers are encrypted where possible.Įmails can be further encrypted with a password that you would need to agree with or communicate to the recipient for them to be able to decrypt the message, through a form of PGP. All emails sent from one ProtonMail account to another are always encrypted at every step of the process. Your emails are all stored in an encrypted format on ProtonMail’s servers using Zero Access encryption, meaning that they have no way to access your email. The only way to protect yourself against this form of attack is to use a long, complex, and unique password and to be vigilant for phishing emails.

ProtonMail can’t protect you from attackers gaining access to your account through guessing or tricking you into revealing the correct password.

Your best protection against this risk is to follow security best practices to minimise the risk of your device ever being compromised. If someone is able to run code on your device, and you’re signed in, it’s possible for them to access your email. The optional auto-lock feature on mobile requires a PIN code or biometric scan to unlock access, potentially protecting you from an attacker with physical access to your device. If your device is compromised in some way, there’s no guarantee that any data on your device is safe.

Proton email secure