all-in-one privacy solution":["Proton Unlimited ist eine All-in-One-Datenschutzlösung"],"Black Friday":["Black Friday"],"No ads. Privacy by default.":["Keine Werbung. Privatsphäre als Standard."],"People before profits":["Menschen sind uns wichtiger als Gewinne"],"Security through transparency":["Sicherheit durch Transparenz"],"The best Proton Mail ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } deals":["Die besten Proton Mail-Angebote zum ${ BLACK_FRIDAY }"],"The world’s only community- supported email service":["Der weltweit einzige von der Community unterstützte E-Mail-Dienst"]},"specialoffer:limited":{"${ hours } hour":["${ hours } Stunde","${ hours } Stunden"],"${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } and ${ secondsLeft } left":["Nur noch ${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } und ${ secondsLeft }"],"${ minutes } minute":["${ minutes } Minute","${ minutes } Minuten"],"${ seconds } second":["${ seconds } Sekunde","${ seconds } Sekunden"],"Limited time offer":["Zeitlich befristetes Angebot"]},"specialoffer:listitem":{"Create multiple addresses":["Erstelle mehrere Adressen"],"Hide-my-email aliases":["Hide-my-email-Aliase"],"Quickly unsubscribe from newsletters":["Newsletter schnell abbestellen"],"Use your own domain name":["Verwende deine eigene Domain"]},"specialoffer:logos":{"As featured in":["Vorgestellt in"]},"specialoffer:metadescription":{"Get an encrypted email that protects your privacy":["Nutze einen verschlüsselte E-Mail-Dienst, der deine Privatsphäre schützt"]},"specialoffer:metatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Up to 40% off":["Proton Mail Black Friday-Angebot – Bis zu 40 % Rabatt"]},"specialoffer:newmetadescription":{"Get up to 40% off Proton Mail subscriptions this Black Friday. Find great deals on our secure end-to-end encrypted email plans.":["Erhalte an diesem Black Friday bis zu 40 % Rabatt auf Proton Mail-Abonnements. Mache tolle Schnäppchen bei unseren sicheren, Ende-zu-Ende-verschlüsselten E-Mail-Abonnements."]},"specialoffer:newmetatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday sale | Up to 40% off secure email":["Proton Mail-Black-Friday-Angebot | Bis zu 40 % Rabatt auf sichere E-Mails"]},"specialoffer:note":{"* Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["* Zum Preis von ${ TOTAL_SUM } im ersten Jahr"],"*Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["*Zum Preis von ${ TOTAL_SUM } in den ersten zwei Jahren"],"30-day money-back guarantee":["30-tägige Geld-zurück-Garantie"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["Zum Preis von ${ TOTAL_SUM } in den ersten zwei Jahren"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["Zum Preis von ${ TOTAL_SUM } im ersten Jahr"],"You save ${ SAVE_SUM }":["Du sparst ${ SAVE_SUM }"]},"specialoffer:off":{"${ DISCOUNT } off":["− ${ DISCOUNT }"],"${ PERCENT_OFF } off":["− ${ PERCENT_OFF }"]},"specialoffer:testimonial":{"I love my ProtonMail":["Ich liebe mein ProtonMail"],"My favorite email service":["Mein Lieblings-E-Mail-Dienst"],"Thanks Proton for keeping us all safe in the complicated internet universe.":["Danke Proton, dass du uns alle im komplizierten Internet-Universum beschützt."],"You get what you pay for. In the case of big tech, if you pay nothing, you get used. I quit using Gmail and switched to @ProtonMail":["Du bekommst, wofür du bezahlst. Wenn du nichts bezahlst, wirst du bei der Nutzung von Big Tech ausgenutzt. Ich habe Gmail aufgegeben und bin zu @ProtonMail gewechselt"]},"specialoffer:time":{"Days":["Tage"],"Hours":["Stunden"],"Min":["Min."]},"specialoffer:title":{"And much more":["Und vieles mehr"],"Make your inbox yours":["Übernimm volle Kontrolle über deinen Posteingang"],"Safe from trackers":["Sicher vor Trackern"],"Stay organized":["Sorge für Ordnung"],"Black Friday email deals":["E-Mail-Angebote zum Black Friday"],"Don’t just take our word for it":["Verlasse dich nicht nur auf unser Wort"],"Our story":["Unsere Geschichte"],"Transfer your data from Google in one click":["Übertrage deine Daten von Google mit einem Klick"]},"specialoffer:tooltip":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES }+ countries, connect up to 10 devices, access worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Greife auf blockierte Inhalte zu und surfe privat. Umfasst ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } Server in über ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } Ländern, die Verbindung \nvon bis zu 10 Geräten, weltweite Streaming-Dienste, Malware- und Werbeblocker und mehr."],"Easily share your calendar with your family, friends or colleagues, and view external calendars.":["Teile deinen Kalender ganz einfach mit Verwandten, Freunden oder Kollegen und rufe externe Kalender auf."],"Includes support for 1 custom email domain, 10 email addresses, 10 hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Beinhaltet Unterstützung für eine eigene E-Mail-Domain, 10 E-Mail-Adressen, 10 „hide-my-email“-Aliasse, Kalenderfreigabe und mehr."],"Includes support for 3 custom email domains, 15 email addresses, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Beinhaltet Unterstützung für 3 benutzerdefinierte E-Mail-Domänen, 15 E-Mail-Adressen, unbegrenzte „hide-my-email“-Aliase, Kalenderfreigabe und mehr."],"Manage up to 25 calendars, mobile apps, secured with end-to-end encryption, 1-click calendar import from Google, and more.":["Verwalte bis zu 25 Kalender, Ende zu Ende verschlüsselte mobile Apps, 1-Klick-Kalenderimporte von Google und vieles mehr."]},"Status Banner":{"At the moment we are experiencing issues with the Proton VPN service":["Im Moment gibt es Probleme mit dem Proton VPN-Dienst"],"Learn more":["Mehr erfahren"]},"Status banner":{"Learn more":["Mehr erfahren"],"Please note that at the moment we are experiencing issues with the ${ issues[0] } service.":["Bitte beachte, dass wir im Moment Probleme mit dem Dienst ${ issues[0] } haben."],"We are experiencing issues with one or more services at the moment.":["Im Moment gibt es Probleme mit einem oder mehreren Diensten."]},"suggestions":{"Suggestions":["Vorschläge"]},"Support":{"Sub category":["Unterkategorie","Unterkategorien"]},"Support article":{"${ readingTime } min":["${ readingTime } Min.","${ readingTime } Min."],"Category":["Kategorie","Kategorien"],"Didn’t find what you were looking for?":["Hast du nicht gefunden, wonach du gesucht hast?"],"General contact":["Allgemeiner Kontakt"],"Get help":["Hilfe erhalten"],"Legal contact":["Kontakt für Rechtliches"],"Media contact":["Kontakt für Medien"],"Partnerships contact":["Kontakt für Partnerschaften"],"Reading":["Lesen"]},"Support categories":{"Browse Proton product support":["Produkt-Support von Proton durchsuchen"]},"Support category":{"There is no article in this category yet.":["In dieser Kategorie gibt es noch keinen Artikel."]},"Support troubleshooting":{"--- Select ---":["--- Auswählen ---"],"App version":["App-Version"],"Browser":["Browser"],"Check if this helps":["Schau, ob das hilft."],"Choose a category for your question":["Wähle eine Kategorie für deine Frage aus."],"Choose a product":["Produkt auswählen"],"Did this solve your issue ?":["Hat dies dein Problem gelöst?"],"Faster assistance is just a few clicks away — please make your selections":["Schnellere Hilfe ist nur ein paar Klicks entfernt. Bitte triff deine Auswahl"],"No, contact support":["Nein, Support kontaktieren"],"Proton account":["Proton-Konto"],"Proton Bridge":["Proton Bridge"],"Proton Calendar":["Proton Calendar"],"Proton Drive":["Proton Drive"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Proton Mail":["Proton Mail"],"Proton Pass":["Proton Pass"],"Proton VPN":["Proton VPN"],"Thank you for your feedback":["Danke für dein Feedback"],"Troubleshooting":["Fehlerbehebung"],"What can we help with ?":["Wie können wir dir helfen?"],"Yes":["Ja"]},"support_modal_search_query":{"Search query":["Anfrage suchen"]},"support_search_button":{"Search":["Suchen"]},"support_search_i_am_looking_for":{"I'm looking for":["Ich suche"]},"SupportForm":{"For a faster resolution, please report the issue from the Bridge app: Help > Report a problem.":["Damit das Problem schneller gelöst werden kann, melde es bitte über die Bridge-App: Help > Report a problem (Hilfe > Problem melden)."],"Information":["Informationen"]},"SupportForm:option":{"Account Security":["Kontosicherheit"],"Contacts":["Kontakte"],"Custom email domain":["Benutzerdefinierte E-Mail-Domain"],"Email delivery and Spam":["E-Mail-Zustellung und Spam"],"Encryption":["Verschlüsselung"],"Login and password":["Anmeldung und Passwort"],"Merge aliases and accounts":["Zusammenführung von Aliassen und Konten"],"Migrate to Proton":["Migration zu Proton"],"Notifications":["Benachrichtigungen"],"Other":["Sonstiges"],"Plans and billing":["Abonnements und Abrechnung"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Sign up":["Registrierung"],"Storage":["Speicher"],"Users, addresses, and identities":["Benutzer, Adressen und Identitäten"]},"SupportForm:optionIntro":{"Select a topic":["Thema auswählen"]},"swiss_baseed_feature":{"Swiss based":["In der Schweiz ansässig"]},"Testimonial":{"Awards":["Auszeichnungen"],"Customers":["Kunden"],"Featured":["Empfohlen"],"Go to testimonial source":["Zur Referenzquelle wechseln"],"Reviews":["Bewertungen"],"Videos":["Videos"]},"Text":{"Find the plan that's right for you":["Finde das passende Abonnement"],"If you need help, check out our ${ supportLink }.":["Hilfe erhältst du in unserem ${ supportLink }."],"The page you’re looking for might have been removed, or it could be an\nold link.":["Die von dir gesuchte Seite wurde möglicherweise entfernt, oder es könnte sich um einen alten Link handeln."]},"Title":{"On this page":["Auf dieser Seite"],"Related articles":["Verwandte Artikel"],"Share ${ thisPage }":["${ thisPage } teilen"],"Thank you!":["Vielen Dank!"],"this page":["diese Seite"]},"Tooltip":{"More information":["Weitere Informationen"]},"tooltip_calendar":{"Create up to 20 custom & shareable encrypted calendars. On top of that, add up to 5 calendars from friends, family, colleagues, and organizations.":["Erstelle bis zu 20 benutzerdefinierte und teilbare verschlüsselte Kalender. Darüber hinaus kannst du bis zu 5 Kalender von Freunden, Familie, Kollegen und Organisationen hinzufügen."]},"tooltip_vpn":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES }+ countries, highest VPN speed, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } VPN connections, worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Greife auf blockierte Inhalte zu und surfe privat. Enthält über ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } Server in mehr als ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } Ländern, höchste VPN-Geschwindigkeiten, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } VPN-Verbindungen, weltweite Streaming-Dienste, Malware- und Werbeblocker und mehr."],"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES }+ countries, highest VPN speed, 10 VPN connections, worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Greife auf blockierte Inhalte zu und surfe privat. Enthält über ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } Server in mehr als ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } Ländern, höchste VPN-Geschwindigkeiten, 10 VPN-Verbindungen, weltweite Streaming-Dienste, Malware- und Werbeblocker und mehr."]},"version_history_label":{"Version history":["Versionsverlauf"]},"version_history_tooltip":{"Store up to ${ versionHistoryNumber } versions of each file for up to ${ years } years":["Speichere bis zu ${ versionHistoryNumber } Versionen jeder Datei für einen Zeitraum von bis zu ${ years } Jahren"]},"vpn_features_link":{"View VPN plans":["VPN-Abonnements anzeigen"]},"vpn_features_useCase":{"Access blocked content and browse privately":["Greife auf blockierte Inhalte zu und surfe privat"]}}},"unleashApi":"https://account.proton.me/api"};
// We need to import data (the framework context) from the server
// This Astro feature with define:vars works well but creates an inline script
// So we can't directly import the initFramework helper, we have to store the context
window.frameworkContext = frameworkContext;
})();
Proton Mail Bridge is a desktop application that runs in the background on your computer and encrypts and decrypts your mail as it enters and leaves your device. It allows for full integration of your Proton Mail account with email clients like Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Apple Mail.
This document discusses how Bridge handles sensitive information, describes its potential attack vectors, and explains the security features that mitigate these attacks. (Note: This security model applies to the Bridge application for Linux, macOS, and Windows.)
This security model is technical in nature, but was written in plain language so that the average user can understand the important takeaways. You can also read more about what Proton Mail is and is not designed to protect you from in the Proton Mail threat model(new window).
As part of normal, day-to-day operations, Bridge must handle different types of data with varying levels of sensitivity. This data includes (but is not limited to):
User credentials and an access token for authentication with the Proton servers
Public and private keys for sending and reading messages
Encrypted messages, attachments, and metadata
We explain how Bridge secures this sensitive data in greater detail below.
Your passwords never leave your machine Users log in to Bridge, which in turn authenticates with the Proton Mail API using the Secure Remote Password protocol(new window). This authentication process ensures a user’s password never leaves their machine, and it generates an access token and a refresh token.
The access token is relatively short-lived and is used to authenticate any subsequent API requests; it is stored in the device’s memory. The refresh token is used to generate new access tokens and is stored securely in the operating system’s keychain (Windows Credentials Manager, macOS Keychain, or pass/gnome-keyring on Linux). The user’s hashed and salted mailbox password (used to decrypt their PGP keys) and Bridge password (used to connect an email client to Bridge) are also held in the operating system’s keychain.
Ensuring a secure connection to Proton servers Bridge communicates with the Proton Mail API over an encrypted TLS connection. It additionally employs TLS certificate public key pinning to ensure it only connects to trusted Proton Mail servers. If Bridge receives an untrusted public key, it will assume an unknown intermediary is pretending to be a Proton server and immediately warn the user.
Bridge never stores or shares a user’s PGP keys After the user logs in, Bridge downloads their encrypted, private PGP keys from the Proton servers and unlocks them. These keys are held in the device’s memory, never on disk. Whenever a user turns off their device, they wipe its memory. This makes it unlikely an attacker will be able to obtain a copy of a user’s PGP keys, even if they steal the user’s device. These keys are also never shared with other applications on your device and stay within Bridge’s memory space.
Bridge does not store decrypted message data When an IMAP client requests a message body or attachment, it is downloaded from the Proton servers as an encrypted PGP message, decrypted locally, and then transmitted to the IMAP client. Similar to the user’s PGP keys, Bridge does not permanently store any message bodies or attachments to disk, further reducing the amount of sensitive data available on the device.
Attack mitigation
Here we describe the potential attack vectors of Bridge and how we mitigate these attacks.
Reducing the threat of a MITM attack
As described, Bridge employs TLS certificate pinning, which mitigates the risk of a network-level man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.
Furthermore, the content of messages sent from Bridge to Proton Mail users or external recipients using PGP has an additional layer of protection thanks to end-to-end encryption. This means Bridge encrypts the user’s message before it leaves their device. The message remains encrypted until it reaches the recipient’s device, which decrypts it. This prevents any third party, including Proton Mail, from accessing the content of a user’s message. Messages sent this way remain inaccessible because a user’s mailbox password never leaves their device and, thus, is never transmitted to an attacker.
Secure updates
Bridge on Windows and macOS includes a feature that allows it to self-update. The update process has additional safeguards in place to verify that only trusted versions of Bridge that are created and signed by Proton Mail are installed.
Bridge recommended use cases
Bridge is a unique tool when compared to the other Proton Mail apps. As such, there are specific cases in which it would be more practical and useful than other Proton Mail apps.
Below are some examples of recommended use cases for Bridge:
Offline editing If you find yourself without a stable Internet connection, you can use your favorite email client with Bridge to download emails while you do have good Internet access and then process them offline later. Most email clients will automatically send and receive your drafts once you are back online.
Offline backups of your emails are required If you need to have offline copies of your messages for whatever reason, Bridge is the easiest way to accomplish this. The Bridge app enables your IMAP/SMTP client to do this automatically if you choose to do so.
Add Proton Mail security to already known email clients If you or your staff do not feel confident learning how to use a new email service, Bridge lets you add Proton Mail encryption to your messages while continuing to use your favorite IMAP/SMTP email client. These clients include Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail, all applications that many people are familiar with. This means that once you set up Bridge, using it does not require any new training.
Bridge security model scope
No application is 100% secure, and no piece of software can protect its user against every potential threat. Proton Mail Bridge is engineered to provide additional protection to its users’ data, but certain conditions are outside of the scope of the security model.
User device security We assume users run the Bridge app in a safe environment. For instance, we assume that Bridge program files are installed to a location where normal (non-admin) users have no write privileges. Furthermore, we expect the user’s device to be free of any malicious software (keyloggers, screen recorders, memory scanners, etc.) that could access the device’s data in memory or on disk. Bridge, unfortunately, cannot secure your data if your device is already compromised.
Additionally, we assume that the IMAP/SMTP ports that the email client connects to are not exposed beyond the device that Bridge is running on. The Bridge application ignores all connections that do not originate from the localhost, and we assume the user will not attempt to circumvent this.
Bridge installer security We assume that the user securely downloaded the Bridge installer from our server (the server should present a valid and expected SSL certificate). For Windows and macOS, the operating system inspects the signatures on the installer file automatically before installation. It then displays the results to the user, which we assume they properly verify. We recommend Linux users refer to our support article on Verifying the Proton Mail Bridge package(new window) for instructions. If you download the Bridge application from an unauthorized source, we cannot guarantee the safety of the installer.
Our recommendations for keeping your device secure
We have invested heavily in the security of our Bridge app. You can help maximize the security of your own device by taking a few simple measures:
Encrypt your device’s hard drive. Windows(new window) and macOS(new window) devices all have built-in encryption systems, but you have to turn them on. Once you have encrypted your drive, write down your recovery code and store it in a secure place.
Enable your operating system’s antivirus protection, if available.
Ensure your network ports are secured by a firewall to prevent outside machines from connecting to them.
Do not install untrusted programs on your device. This includes unknown open source versions of Bridge. Downloading Bridge directly from Proton Mail(new window) is the safest option.
Do not open links or download attachments from untrusted senders.
Conclusion
Our first priority is always our users’ security. Our goal is to make it easy for anyone to protect their privacy by creating tools that apply advanced cryptography to their messages automatically. The Bridge tool was designed to add additional security to already existing IMAP/SMTP email clients. By keeping your device secure, you can use these email clients and still take charge of your data. Thank you for your support!
Proton Mail and Proton VPN are funded by community contributions. If you would like to support our development efforts, you can upgrade to a paid plan(new window). Thank you for your support.
Secure, seamless communication is the foundation of every business. As more
organizations secure their data with Proton, we’ve dramatically expanded our
ecosystem with new products and services, from our password manager to Dark Web
Monitoring for cr
On the subject of cybersecurity, one term that often comes up is brute force
attack. A brute force attack is any attack that doesn’t rely on finesse, but
instead uses raw computing power to crack security or even the underlying
encryption.
In this a
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has become notorious as
the legal justification allowing federal agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI to
perform warrantless wiretaps, which sweep up the data of hundreds of thousands
of US citi
In response to the growing number of data breaches, Proton Mail offers a feature
to paid subscribers called Dark Web Monitoring. Our system checks if your
credentials or other data have been leaked to illegal marketplaces and alerts
you if so. Often
Your email address is your online identity, and you share it whenever you create
a new account for an online service. While this offers convenience, it also
leaves your identity exposed if hackers manage to breach the services you use.
Data breaches
Our mission at Proton is to help usher in an internet that protects your privacy
by default, secures your data, and gives you the freedom of choice.
Today we’re taking another step in this direction with the launch of our open
source password manage