all-in-one privacy solution":["Proton Unlimited es una solución de privacidad todo en uno"],"Black Friday":["Black Friday"],"No ads. Privacy by default.":["Sin anuncios. Privacidad por defecto."],"People before profits":["Primero las personas, luego los beneficios"],"Security through transparency":["Seguridad con transparencia"],"The best Proton Mail ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } deals":["Las mejores ofertas de Proton Mail en el ${ BLACK_FRIDAY }"],"The world’s only community- supported email service":["El único servicio de correo electrónico del mundo respaldado por la comunidad"]},"specialoffer:limited":{"${ hours } hour":["${ hours } hora","${ hours } horas"],"${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } and ${ secondsLeft } left":["Tiempo restante: ${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } y ${ secondsLeft }"],"${ minutes } minute":["${ minutes } minuto","${ minutes } minutos"],"${ seconds } second":["${ seconds } segundo","${ seconds } segundos"],"Limited time offer":["Oferta por tiempo limitado"]},"specialoffer:listitem":{"Create multiple addresses":["Cree múltiples direcciones"],"Hide-my-email aliases":["Seudónimos de hide-my-email"],"Quickly unsubscribe from newsletters":["Cancele suscripciones a boletines rápidamente"],"Use your own domain name":["Use su propio dominio"]},"specialoffer:logos":{"As featured in":["Tal como aparece en"]},"specialoffer:metadescription":{"Get an encrypted email that protects your privacy":["Obtenga un correo electrónico cifrado que protege su privacidad"]},"specialoffer:metatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Up to 40% off":["Oferta de Black Friday de Proton Mail: hasta un 40% de descuento"]},"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.":["Aproveche las rebajas de Black Friday y obtenga suscripciones de Proton Mail con hasta un 40 % de descuento. Encontrará las mejores ofertas en planes de correo electrónico seguro cifrado de extremo a extremo."]},"specialoffer:newmetatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday sale | Up to 40% off secure email":["Rebajas de Black Friday en Proton Mail | Hasta un 40 % de descuento en correo electrónico seguro"]},"specialoffer:note":{"* Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["*Con un costo de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante el primer año"],"*Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["*Con un costo de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante los primeros 2 años"],"30-day money-back guarantee":["Garantía de devolución de dinero de 30 días"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["Con un costo de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante los primeros 2 años"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["Con un costo de ${ TOTAL_SUM } durante el primer año"],"You save ${ SAVE_SUM }":["Ahorre ${ SAVE_SUM }"]},"specialoffer:off":{"${ DISCOUNT } off":["-${ DISCOUNT }"],"${ PERCENT_OFF } off":["-${ PERCENT_OFF }"]},"specialoffer:testimonial":{"I love my ProtonMail":["Amo mi Proton Mail"],"My favorite email service":["Mi servicio de correo electrónico favorito"],"Thanks Proton for keeping us all safe in the complicated internet universe.":["Gracias Proton por mantenernos a salvo en el complicado universo de Internet."],"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":["Obtiene aquello por lo que paga. En el caso de la gran tecnología, cuando uno no paga nada, se acostumbra. Dejé de usar Gmail y cambié a @ProtonMail"]},"specialoffer:time":{"Days":["Días"],"Hours":["Horas"],"Min":["min"]},"specialoffer:title":{"And much more":["Y mucho más"],"Make your inbox yours":["Personalice su bandeja de entrada"],"Safe from trackers":["A salvo de rastreadores"],"Stay organized":["Mantenga el orden"],"Black Friday email deals":["Ofertas en correo electrónico del Black Friday"],"Don’t just take our word for it":["No confíe solo en nuestra palabra"],"Our story":["Nuestra historia"],"Transfer your data from Google in one click":["Transfiera sus datos de Google con un solo clic"]},"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.":["Acceda a contenido bloqueado y navegue de forma privada. Incluye ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } servidores en más de ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } países, conecta hasta 10 dispositivos, acceda a servicios de transmisión en todo el mundo, malware y bloqueador de anuncios, y más."],"Easily share your calendar with your family, friends or colleagues, and view external calendars.":["Comparta su calendario con familiares, amigos y compañeros fácilmente y consulte calendarios externos."],"Includes support for 1 custom email domain, 10 email addresses, 10 hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Incluye compatibilidad con 1 dominio de correo electrónico personalizado, 10 direcciones de correo electrónico, 10 seudónimos de hide-my-email, posibilidad de compartir calendario, etc."],"Includes support for 3 custom email domains, 15 email addresses, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Incluye compatibilidad con 3 dominios de correo electrónico personalizado, 15 direcciones de correo electrónico, seudónimos ilimitados de hide-my-email, posibilidad de compartir calendario, etc."],"Manage up to 25 calendars, mobile apps, secured with end-to-end encryption, 1-click calendar import from Google, and more.":["Administre hasta 25 calendarios, apps móviles, protegido con cifrado de extremo a extremo, importación de calendario con 1 clic desde Google y más."]},"Status Banner":{"At the moment we are experiencing issues with the Proton VPN service":["En este momento, tenemos problemas con el servicio Proton VPN."],"Learn more":["Más información"]},"Status banner":{"Learn more":["Más información"],"Please note that at the moment we are experiencing issues with the ${ issues[0] } service.":["Tenga en cuenta que, en este momento, estamos experimentando problemas con el servicio ${ issues[0] }."],"We are experiencing issues with one or more services at the moment.":["En este momento, tenemos problemas con uno o más servicios."]},"suggestions":{"Suggestions":["Sugerencias"]},"Support":{"Sub category":["Subacategoria","Subcategorías"]},"Support article":{"${ readingTime } min":["${ readingTime } minuto","${ readingTime } minutos"],"Category":["Categoría","Categorías"],"Didn’t find what you were looking for?":["¿No encontró lo que buscaba?"],"General contact":["Contacto general"],"Get help":["Obtener ayuda"],"Legal contact":["Contacto legal"],"Media contact":["Contacto para medios"],"Partnerships contact":["Contacto para colaboradores"],"Reading":["Lectura"]},"Support categories":{"Browse Proton product support":["Explore el soporte de productos de Proton"]},"Support category":{"There is no article in this category yet.":["Todavía no hay ningún artículo en esta categoría."]},"Support troubleshooting":{"--- Select ---":["--- Seleccionar ---"],"App version":["Versión de la app"],"Browser":["Navegador"],"Check if this helps":["Compruebe si le sirve"],"Choose a category for your question":["Elija la categoría de su pregunta"],"Choose a product":["Elija un producto"],"Did this solve your issue ?":["¿Resolvió su problema?"],"Faster assistance is just a few clicks away — please make your selections":["Obtenga ayuda más rápidamente con tan solo unos clics. Haga su selección."],"No, contact support":["No, contactar a soporte"],"Proton account":["Cuenta de Proton"],"Proton Bridge":["Proton Bridge"],"Proton Calendar":["Calendario de Proton"],"Proton Drive":["Proton Drive"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Proton Mail":["Correo de Proton"],"Proton Pass":["Proton Pass"],"Proton VPN":["VPN de Proton"],"Thank you for your feedback":["Gracias por sus comentarios"],"Troubleshooting":["Solución de problemas"],"What can we help with ?":["¿En qué podemos ayudar?"],"Yes":["Sí"]},"support_modal_search_query":{"Search query":["Consulta"]},"support_search_button":{"Search":["Buscar"]},"support_search_i_am_looking_for":{"I'm looking for":["Busco"]},"SupportForm":{"For a faster resolution, please report the issue from the Bridge app: Help > Report a problem.":["Para una resolución más rápida, reporte el problema desde la app Bridge: Ayuda > Reportar un problema."],"Information":["Información"]},"SupportForm:option":{"Account Security":["Seguridad de la cuenta"],"Contacts":["Contactos"],"Custom email domain":["Dominio de correo electrónico personalizado"],"Email delivery and Spam":["Entrega de correo electrónico y spam"],"Encryption":["Cifrado"],"Login and password":["Inicio de sesión y contraseña"],"Merge aliases and accounts":["Combinar alias y cuentas"],"Migrate to Proton":["Migrar a Proton"],"Notifications":["Notificaciones"],"Other":["Otros"],"Plans and billing":["Planes y facturación"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Sign up":["Regístrese"],"Storage":["Almacenamiento"],"Users, addresses, and identities":["Usuarios, direcciones e identidades"]},"SupportForm:optionIntro":{"Select a topic":["Seleccione un tema"]},"swiss_baseed_feature":{"Swiss based":["Con sede en Suiza"]},"Testimonial":{"Awards":["Premios"],"Customers":["Clientes"],"Featured":["Destacados"],"Go to testimonial source":["Ir a la fuente testimonial"],"Reviews":["Reseñas"],"Videos":["Videos"]},"Text":{"Find the plan that's right for you":["Encuentre el plan adecuado para usted"],"If you need help, check out our ${ supportLink }.":["Si necesita ayuda, consulte nuestra ${ supportLink }."],"The page you’re looking for might have been removed, or it could be an\nold link.":["Es posible que la página que busca haya sido eliminada o que sea un\nenlace antiguo."]},"Title":{"On this page":["En esta página"],"Related articles":["Artículos relacionados"],"Share ${ thisPage }":["Compartir ${ thisPage }"],"Thank you!":["¡Gracias!"],"this page":["esta página"]},"Tooltip":{"More information":["Más información"]},"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.":["Cree hasta 20 calendarios personalizados, compartibles y cifrados. Agregue hasta 5 calendarios de amigos, familiares, colegas y organizaciones."]},"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.":["Acceda a contenido bloqueado y navegue en privado. Tendrá a su disposición más de ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } servidores en más de ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } países, VPN de máxima velocidad, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } conexiones VPN, servicios de streaming en todo el mundo, bloqueadores de malware y de anuncios, y mucho más."],"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.":["Acceda a contenido bloqueado y navegue en privado. Tendrá a su disposición más de ${ TOTAL_SERVERS } servidores en más de ${ TOTAL_COUNTRIES } países, VPN de máxima velocidad, 10 conexiones VPN, servicios de streaming en todo el mundo, bloqueadores de malware y de anuncios, y mucho más."]},"version_history_label":{"Version history":["Historial de versiones"]},"version_history_tooltip":{"Store up to ${ versionHistoryNumber } versions of each file for up to ${ years } years":["Comparta hasta ${ versionHistoryNumber } versiones de cada archivo hasta durante ${ years } años"]},"vpn_features_link":{"View VPN plans":["Ver planes de VPN"]},"vpn_features_useCase":{"Access blocked content and browse privately":["Acceda a contenido bloqueado y navegue de forma privada"]}}},"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 is designed to guard against a broad range of threats. But there is no such thing as perfect security. This threat model describes the threats Proton Mail can and cannot counter.
Updated Nov. 18, 2019, to remove reference to an outdated plugin recommendation.
Email is one of the most common modes of communication, but it is also one of least secure. First introduced in the 1980s, email was developed well before many threats of the modern Internet were even envisioned, much less understood. Despite its flaws, email is not going away any time soon and will continue to play a major role in our lives and our work. In view of email’s ubiquity and its drawbacks, we designed Proton Mail to mitigate many of the security and privacy vulnerabilities of email while preserving its ease of use.
Of course, there is no way to design a system that is 100% secure, and Proton Mail is no exception. Along the way, we have made many design decisions that sometimes prioritize security over usability, and other times usability over security. The result is a system that is vastly more private than the most popular free email services but nonetheless does not offer complete protection, as nothing can truly offer complete protection. In this article, we explain what Proton Mail is and isn’t designed to protect against so that you can make an informed choice about when to use Proton Mail for your communications.
Proton Mail security overview
Emails between Proton Mail users are always end-to-end encrypted(new window), meaning only the sender and the recipient can read the email message. Encryption takes place on the sender’s device using the recipient’s public key. All messages (including messages to and from non-Proton Mail users) are also stored using zero-access encryption(new window) on our servers and therefore inaccessible to us. Private keys are encrypted using users’ account password in a way that is not accessible to us(new window).
The use of strong encryption protects messages from many types of data exposure, including mass surveillance, government requests, and data breaches. This is different from other email providers, such as Google or Yahoo, which do retain the ability to read their users’ messages. This allows them to scan messages for advertising purposes or share them with third parties.
While Proton Mail does not have the ability to decrypt message contents or attachments, like any email service we have access to metadata (such as sender/recipient and subject lines), because without this information we could not deliver messages to their final destination. Because Proton Mail is based in Switzerland, this metadata remains under the protection of some of the world’s strongest privacy laws. However, if presented with a valid order from a Swiss court involving a case of criminal activity that is against Swiss law, Proton Mail can be compelled to share account metadata (but not message contents or attachments) with law enforcement.
Emails between Proton Mail accounts and non-Proton Mail accounts are also zero-access encrypted on our servers, but they are not end-to-end encrypted in transit, and copies stored on your recipient’s email service may be vulnerable to exposure. For example, if you send an email to somebody using Yahoo mail and Yahoo is breached, that message may be exposed through the recipient’s inbox. This is why for sensitive communications, we recommend that your contacts also utilize a Proton Mail account. Proton Mail does, however, offer the ability to send end-to-end encrypted emails to non-Proton Mail accounts through our outside encryption feature or through PGP (for advanced users).
What Proton Mail does not guard against
Compromised account or device
This is the most common type of compromise. Even if you use the world’s most secure electronic communication system, advanced encryption does you no good if your password has been compromised or there is a keylogger on your computer recording all of your keystrokes. Proton Mail does not and can not guard against a compromise of a user’s machine.
This is a far more difficult attack that can typically only be executed by a strong adversary (like a government) and is generally a targeted attack. An MITM attack cannot easily be used on a large scale to perform mass surveillance.
As the name suggests, an MITM is where an adversary sits between the user’s device and the server. Because Proton Mail messages are encrypted before they leave the user’s browser, an attacker cannot get message data by simply listening in on the communications. The attacker would have to actually send the user’s browser a modified version of the Proton Mail website, which may secretly pass the account password back to the attacker.
Fortunately, there are several ways to protect against an MITM attack. Proton Mail employs TLS to secure the delivery of our software to users’ browsers and prevent tampering of our code en route. Generally speaking, a successful MITM attack requires breaking TLS, typically by using a forged TLS certificate. There are browser plugins that can be used to detect forged certificates and greatly reduce the risk of an MITM attack. Using Proton Mail’s mobile apps and our desktop Bridge software may reduce the risk of MITM attacks as those environments are more difficult to compromise than web.
Proton Mail also features another anti-MITM feature called Address Verification. This allows users to “trust” the public key of a contact you have verified. This is a form of key-pinning that provides extra protection by detecting if a fake public key is delivered to your device for that contact. This feature gives Proton Mail higher security compared to other encrypted email services because you are protected against key tampering and the trust model is trust on first use instead of trust on every use. For highly sensitive communications, we recommend enabling Address Verification.
Another attack vector would be if an attacker somehow gained access to Proton Mail’s servers in Switzerland without us noticing. Such an attacker could conceivably change the Proton Mail software to send bad encryption code to users’ browsers that would somehow allow the attacker to get unencrypted data. Proton Mail has implemented numerous safeguards against this on the server level which make this a difficult attack to pull off successfully in an undetectable way.
Proton Mail recommended use cases
Proton Mail offers good (but not perfect) protection for the vast majority of users. There are, however, some risks for users facing a strong adversary, such as a government focusing all its resources on a very specific target. In such a case, we don’t think encryption would be of much benefit, as this XKCD comic would apply(new window).
Below are some examples of recommended and not recommended use cases for Proton Mail:
Recommended
Sensitive business communications
You have sensitive business information that you want to make sure is protected from competitors and other malicious parties. For example, you fear a competitor may want to sue you under false pretenses to get access to sensitive data. In this case, Proton Mail offers a great deal of protection. Proton Mail will not release any data unless provided with a valid order from the Swiss authorities. Even if an adversary went through the expensive and time-consuming procedure of obtaining such an order, Proton Mail’s zero-access cryptography means we would not be able to release decrypted data, apart from metadata.
Anyone with privacy concerns
Proton Mail is also perfect for an individual (or corporation) that does NOT want the government to have access to all of their emails at any time, and does not like Google or Microsoft constantly scanning and archiving all conversations. With Proton Mail, the barrier of entry for mass surveillance is high enough that mass surveillance simply is not practical. This is an example where ‘good privacy’ can act as a meaningful substitute to ‘perfect privacy.’
Organizations with data security needs
Proton Mail can help organizations comply with data privacy regulations. Our encryption meets the standard set out by the GDPR(new window) for technical measures to protect personal data. Our zero-access encryption also greatly reduces the risk of a data breach, and significantly reduces the impact of a breach in the unlikely event that there were to be a breach.
If you are attempting to leak state secrets (as was the case of Edward Snowden) or going up against a powerful state adversary, email may not be the most secure medium for communications. The Internet is generally not anonymous, and if you are breaking Swiss law, a law-abiding company such as Proton Mail can be legally compelled to log your IP address. A powerful state adversary will also be better positioned to launch one of the attacks described above against you, which may negate the privacy protection provided by Proton Mail. While we can offer more protection and security, we cannot guarantee your safety against a powerful adversary.
Conclusion
We would like to conclude with a few thoughts about privacy and surveillance in general. Some people make the assertion that if you are not a criminal, there is no need for privacy. A very powerful counterargument to that, which we recommend everybody watch, can be found here.(new window)
There are also critics who assert that by building Proton Mail, we are providing a tool for criminals to evade the authorities. Like any technology, Proton Mail can be used for good or bad. However, the vast majority of our users are individuals seeking greater control over their data, or journalists and activists living under authoritarian regimes where freedom of speech and privacy are not respected. The truth about data security is that there is no middle ground: any weakening of encryption will make all of us less secure(new window).
We can either choose to live in a world where everybody is under surveillance, or a world where everybody (criminals included) has privacy. We feel that the right to privacy is a fundamental human right, and we are willing to fight and work toward protecting that right.
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