ProtonMail vs. Gmail: The Truth about Secure Email Services and the Worth of Investing in Security
Introduction
Do you prioritize online privacy and dread the thought of your personal data being collected by companies like Google? If so, you might want to consider using a secure email service like ProtonMail. This blog will explain the importance of email encryption, how ProtonMail works, and why you should shift to this secure email service.
This is not my attempt to get you to abandon your Gmail address and open a secure email account. I still use Gmail every day, and frankly, it would be almost impossible for you to delete it at this point. I would bet that you're probably in about the same boat.
Encrypted communication is a basic tenet of privacy that I believe everybody should take seriously and take advantage of. So what I am going to do here is explain how Gmail's current encryption just doesn't cut it and how secure email compares as an alternative. There are a number of secure email services that you could use. Very good ones, but I'm gonna use ProtonMail as the example here because they have a good free option that you can use to give it a try.
TLS Encryption and End-to-end encryption:
Most email providers, including Gmail, use what's known as TLS or Transport Layer Security to encrypt the emails that are being sent across the Internet. It's the standard and it works, but it falls short because it gets decrypted once it reaches the target mail server.
The Lock Box Analogy: I hate using technical jargon, so let me put it this way. Imagine that I'm sending you a top-secret message. It gets placed in a lockbox and delivered to your door, but once it arrives at the house, the box is unlocked and that message can be read by anyone in the house. It's been securely delivered, sure, but once it arrives at your house, that security is gone. End-to-end encryption works differently. Using this method, I place my top-secret message in a lockbox and send it to your house, but I also send you a private key to that box separately. The box arrives at your home, but it remains locked until you personally use that private key I gave you to unlock it.
Reluctance and Concerns:
Many people are hesitant to switch to a secure email account due to two main reasons: cost and a potential downgrade in user experience. The idea of paying for a service they can get for free may deter individuals from exploring secure options. Additionally, they may worry that a secure email service won't offer the same features and familiarity as popular providers like Gmail.
ProtonMail User Experience:
Contrary to these concerns, ProtonMail offers a user-friendly experience that closely resembles traditional email platforms. The inbox layout includes folders for organization, nested email replies, and features like labeling, marking as spam, archiving, and deleting emails, similar to Gmail. Users will find the transition to ProtonMail seamless and intuitive.
Differentiating Features of ProtonMail:
When composing a new message in ProtonMail, two icons at the bottom, resembling an hourglass and a lock, play a crucial role. These allow you to set an email expiration and End-to-end encryption respectively. Remember that private key I was talking about? This is where I create that passphrase that I'll give to my recipient in order for that.
So let's say I send an End-to-end encrypted email from ProtonMail to a Gmail user. What they receive is an e-mail alerting them of the new message and a button to view it. This brings them away from Gmail where they have to input the passcode to reveal the message. The data is never stored on Google servers and my recipient doesn't have to open a protonmail to view it. Although this feels similar to Google's Confidential mode, you have to remember that we're still dealing with two different types of encryption, and there is a difference.
Additional Features and Benefits:
ProtonMail goes beyond secure email communication by providing other valuable features. It offers Proton Drive, an encrypted cloud storage service similar to Google Drive, enabling secure storage of larger email attachments. The platform also includes an online calendar feature, preserving privacy for events and schedules where users can create meetings, invite external participants, set reminders, and work with different time zones.
Conclusion
ProtonMail vs. Gmail: Which should you use?
Consider ProtonMail if:
You're worried about the safety and privacy of your online communications
You're sending and receiving a lot of sensitive data
You're not looking for productivity or integration features
Opt for Gmail if:
You value ease of use and flexibility
You're using or planning to use other Google Workspace apps
You're looking for a free email service with a generous feature set
Or, what about both?
It's not an either/or situation. You can use Gmail for regular day-to-day personal emails and ProtonMail for more sensitive communications. -
Some people even consider ProtonMail as a "burner account" provider, so you can access some online services without giving out your private data if you don't trust them.