Email encryption protects your messages from interception and ensures secure communication between email servers.
STARTTLS - Opportunistic Encryption
STARTTLS upgrades a plain text connection to encrypted. It's the most common and recommended encryption method for SMTP.
SSL/TLS - Implicit Encryption
SSL/TLS creates an encrypted connection from the start. Used with port 465, it provides strong security but is less flexible.
No Encryption - Plain Text
Unencrypted SMTP sends emails in plain text. This is insecure and should only be used in trusted network environments.
Pro Tips
- Always use encryption for email transmission
- STARTTLS with port 587 is the modern standard
- Verify certificate validity to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
- Use strong authentication alongside encryption