Are you searching for a secure email server? You can make sure they protect your emails from prying eyes by setting up your private server, this will aid remove your inbox from the grips of the likes of Google, Microsoft, or Apple. Secret email servers are not just for distinguished diplomats.
In this article, you will understand why be in charge of storing, controlling, and managing your messages, and also, how to set up your secure email server.
UNDERSTANDING PRIVATE EMAIL SERVER
EMAILS originally lives in a data center. A data drive that reserves messages before they are downloaded to a client on the computer system or to a page in a web browser is called ‘An email server’. These servers depend on whichever company provided your email address, for example, the Gmail servers are being run by Google while Microsoft handles Outlook and so on.
Although these services you with a lot of conveniences, personal, classified, and regular emails can be easily scanned by them to give targeted ads and boost services like Google Assistant. In addition, they may ask your email provider to reveal your inbox by government entities and law enforcement agencies.
This violates your privacy and may be troubling. Among the easiest methods to prevent this infringement on your privacy and having total control over your emails is to create a secure email server. A private email server isn’t housed on Google or a Microsoft server, instead, it is on your personal computer and in your house. You get to control and manage how your incoming and outgoing messages are stored and accessed by setting up your disk drive.
Private email server
The glaring importance of owning a secure email service is privacy. The emails in your inbox are wholly yours a private server can send completely anonymous emails. Your Internet Service Provider and your employers are bereft of any access to your emails. This gives a restful state of mind that no third-party email servers can match. You may set up filters using a private email server which is not possible when making use of a regular email service. No one checks your inbox or advertise along with them. An additional bonus is that your email will continue working even when iCloud, Gmail or Outlook breaks down.
Even though a private email server provides you with much more control, it comes with its commitments. Creating a private email server is relatively easy and once the preliminary setup is complete, one can customize it further according to preferences.
However, it comes at a cost. You are completely liable for the safety of your email server. Even though your email server is no longer available to the prying eyes of companies, it can still be jeopardized by a relentless hacker. There are dedicated teams that look out for security flaws in the servers of email providers but with a private email server, you are solely in charge of ensuring the security of your server.
How To Set Up Your Secure Email Server
Creating your private email server won’t be a problem if you follow the instructions that would be explained below accordingly. However, it is important to make sure you have everything needed to set up a server before you proceed. These include-: Adequate and lasting internet connection.
A different computer device with reasonable hard drive capacity- this will store your emails and also acts as the email server. The domain name for your private email server. An email server service with features like antivirus protection, and a spam filter that will route your emails.
- The First Step Is To Download and Install an Email Server:
The first thing required to get running is an email server software. Although there are lots of programs available, most of them are paid. For this guide, let’s use an open-source and free email server known as ‘hMailServer’. Go to hMailServer’s download page and select the file under “Latest Release” to download the App.
To install it, kindly follow the steps below:
1. Operate on the downloaded file.
2. Tap on Next on the setup welcome screen.
3. Tap on the “I accept the agreement” radio button on the next screen. Ensure to have read through the license agreement first.
4. On the next Icon, select the location where you want the app to be installed. It is advisable to install it in the C: drive itself.
5. Select ‘ Full Installation’ from the drop-down menu you will see on the components selection screen, then tap Next.
6. Select the database you would like to use in the next window. Practically, select the first option- “Use built-in database engine”. Then click on Next.
7. Select whether you want to set up a start menu shortcut or not, then tap Next.
8. The subsequent screen will prompt you to set a password for your email server. Put in a strong password and select Next.
9. You can now click on Install and then wait for it to complete.
10. After the installation is complete, make sure the ‘Run hMailServer Administrator’ checkbox is checked and tap on Finish.
Steps On How To Create The hMail Server
The main setup process for a private email server is also quite easy. The succeeding steps would offer you a clear idea of how to set up your email server, and some decent while doing the same:
Step 1: Open hMailServer Administrator. The app should already be in operation if you followed the last step In the section above.
Step 2: In the ensuing window screen, tap on Connect, and when asked, type in the password you set during its installation.
Step 3: Click on ‘Add domain’ on the welcome screen, under ‘Getting Started’.
Step 4: Below the General tap, punch in your domain name under “Domain”. Make sure the Enabled checkbox is ticked and then select Save.
Step 5: Make use of the navigation bar on the left, move to Domains and then tap on the domain name you’ve just typed in. Tap on the Accounts directory.
Step 6: Select ‘Add’ in the Accounts window.
Step 7: In the following window, input your name under the Address text box. This will operate as your email address.
Step 8: Type in an appropriate password in the Password section. Tap on Save.
Step 9: Now use the navigation bar to proceed to Settings>Protocols.
Step 10: Examine SMTP, then uncheck the IMAP, and POP3 check boxes. Don’t forget to click on Save.
See also VPS mail server setup
Step 11: Tap on the Advanced icon under the “Settings” heading itself. Enter local host under “Default domain”, and then click on Save.
Step 12: Tap on the + control to intensify the Advanced settings tree.
Step 13: Proceed to TCP/IP ports and make sure that ports 25, 110, and 143 are enabled for SMTP, POP3, and IMAP respectively.
Step 14: Now, examine your email server by navigating to Utilities > Diagnostics. Choose the domain that you developed earlier, and tap on ‘Start’ to begin the test.
Step 15: This will verify whether you can connect to the mail server you just created successfully. After taking the aforesaid steps, your private email server is ready to run. You only need clients such as Thunderbird or Outlook to receive and send emails. To log in, utilize the domain credentials you set up earlier.
Home email server
In addition, you can also allow and customize features like spam protection and antivirus by operating the hMailServer Administrator utility. Search for these features on the navigation bar. Your secure email server is ready. As you can see, creating your private email server is not that hard. It will take less than an hour to get it done and run if you don’t face any unexpected obstacles. In case you are searching for more advanced features, it is advisable to employ the service of an IT professional to set it up for you. A secure email service is the next best option if you can’t set up your email server using an alternative.
Attempt a simpler shortcut
Employing the service of an IT professional to sort out the process is an easy shortcut if you’re willing to pay for help. Once you’ve been assisted with the initial setup, what is left for you to do is to take charge of the various apps and services, making sure they are running as needed. This alternative cuts down on any hassle you might face while conserving some the privacy.
Conclusion
Finally, not everyone feels relaxed creating a physical server even with the help of a professional, in this case, skipping the hardware option and paying a cloud hosting company to help store your emails might be another simpler shortcut for you. It will help your side-step the burden of figuring everything out yourself. A cloud-based service provider will help configure your mail management and local storage.