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Ask HN: What do you use for a secure email host?

8 points by cweagans ↗ HN
I'm currently using Gmail/Google Apps, but I've been thinking about moving away from it. Problem is, I don't know where I'd go. Ideally, a service would charge on a per-mailbox basis (Rather than on a per-email address basis) -- I have 10-ish email addresses all forwarding to the same inbox.

Any suggestions?

5 comments

[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 36.9 ms ] thread
esw
I use Rackspace. It's $2 per month per mailbox, and the service has been great.
tptacek
Though many's the HN'er who will groan when I tell you this, I'm saying it because it's true: if the security of your email is a big concern, you are better off keeping it at Google Mail. Google maintains an extraordinarily capable staff of security researchers and developers, including key developers of the NSS TLS stack on which both Chrome and Firefox depend, and several of the world's best-regarded vulnerability researchers. Google's "complicity" with the NSA is more folkloric than factual, and in any case implicates any other email provider in the US... or, worse, hosted in venues that lack even the US's protections, which (surprisingly) include many European countries.

The security track record of boutique email providers isn't great. The privacy track record of those providers isn't much better.

If you want to get your mail off Google because you find their ad-tech and data mining objectionable, that's totally reasonable. Just be aware of the tradeoff you're making when you do that: you are unlikely to improve the actual security of your email by migrating elsewhere (though you may improve your peace of mind).

User8712
I just tried signing up, because you raised some good points. I have one email address that I use for everything, currently hosted on one of my dedicated servers. This is the email I use for my existing Google Account as well, to access AdSense and Analytics.

Apparently, I can't use my Google Account, I need to create a separate Google Apps account. Hmm, ok, so I try to create one. Oh, they don't let me create an account with my existing email, since it's already tied to a personal Google account. So, that means I need to create another email at my domain, just for the Google Apps username. Hmm, then I need an alternate email to register, not at my domain (what's the purpose of switching to Google, if I need to setup an alternate email somewhere else?). I gave up there, I'll have to reconsider this tomorrow.

In short, I want to move me@mydomain.com from my dedicated box to Google. However, I need to create me2@mydomain.com, and me3@anotherdomain.com to simply register. Then I'll have to sign into AdSense and Analytics with me@mydomain.com, and then switch accounts and sign into me2@mydomain.com when I want to access Google Apps. I'm trying to manage less, not more, that's the purpose of switching. This sounds less than ideal, so I'm back to square one.

Anyone use NameCheap Open-Xchange, or have any experience with their spam protection or webmail interface?