​Listen up! Not all email services are created equal. Let that sink in a moment.
 
What do we mean by that? Put simply, we mean that email service should not be a “crapshoot.” Choosing an email service needs to be more than a question of convenience. You need to balance ease of use with security and reliability. Some of the most popular email services just don't cut it.
 
At the bottom of the barrel is Yahoo Mail, which has suffered countless security breaches. One of the worst breaches, dubbed Yahoo Bleed, was left unpatched for more than two years while sensitive user data was being “bled” out of server memory.
 
In fact, according to The Daily Scam, Yahoo Mail is the “worst email service on the planet.”  They cite the incidence of hacked user accounts, along with the number of email scams that are launched by users with Yahoo email addresses. What’s inside these scam emails? “We have found that the vast majority of scam or hacked emails from Yahoo contain the same type of thing over and over…a single, malicious link that can cause a computer infection if clicked,” according to The Daily Scam. 
  
Running a close second for the worst service is AOL, which has morphed into an advertising company. The user interface buries the email inbox in a sea of “news” and ads. They run a close second in the sheer amount of hacked email accounts, followed by Hotmail (now called Outlook.com) in third place. You may recall that Yahoo and AOL were purchased by Verizon, and will soon come under one umbrella known as Oath. This is not expected to change the user accounts, but the company is asking users to change passwords since hacker attacks compromised more than 500 million accounts.
 
What about email accounts provided by your Internet Service Provider (Charter, ATT, etc.)? These accounts tend to lock you into service with that provider, and the reliability of the email server is questionable.
 
Here are the best personal email providers:
 
Gmail, the top free email service, takes quality and security seriously.  It’s hard to go wrong with a Gmail account. 
 
iCloud works great with Apple devices, and provides both security and reliability.
 
Then there are paid services, such Fastmail.com and Runbox. They value your privacy, and they never sort through your email in order to send you advertising. They’re also ad-free and offer 24/7 support.

For businesses reliant on Microsoft Outlook for email, Office 365 powered by Exchange is also a top pick.
 
Do you need help setting up the best email service for your needs? Call Asheville Digital Lifestyle today.
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