ProtonMail, one of the favorite communication solutions among privacy enthusiasts, has enabled some new features. As part of this new update, users can now use the same password to log into the service and send emails. Up until this point, the service required two different passwords, which was anything but convenient.
ProtonMail Increases Service Convenience
It is good to see the Swiss company address some of the concerns its users have had over the past few months. Although this is more a convenience matter rather than a security issue, it’s nice to see ProtonMail listen to valuable feedback. Requiring separate passwords for logging in and sending emails is more secure, but it is also a burden on its users.
As of right now, that is no longer a requirement, and users can set up one master password to access all features. Using a password manager is still advised, even though it can be troublesome when using separate passwords. Additionally, two-step authentication is still enabled by default, meaning that the company will not sacrifice account security by allowing users to rely on one password.
This change is now enabled by default, although users can switch back to the two-password system if they prefer to do so. Offering both options is a great way to keep everyone happy, which many people will appreciate. More security is never a bad thing, even if it comes at the cost of convenience.
To put this news into perspective, this new feature is not less secure by any means. The password used to decrypt email is salted with a hash, and is derived from the original login password. The hash salt is not saved on the client side, and can only be found on ProtonMail’s own servers.
Every since ProtonMail came out of beta testing in March of 2016, they have seen a significant increase in user adoption. More and more consumers as well as enterprises see the benefits of fully encrypting their email communication at all times. Governments are inclined to approve new laws which make privacy virtually impossible, but they will have a hard time subpoenaing the Swiss company.
What makes this service remarkable is how ProtonMail has no idea what its users are communicating about, either. By using end-to-encryption for all communication, as well as storing data on company servers, it is impossible for anyone to see what is going on. This is a popular service that should be embraced by even more users in the coming months.
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