When an email is encrypted in transit with a security protocol called transport-layer security (TLS), it is harder for others to read what you’re sending. A growing number of email providers are working to encrypt email messages in transit. The data here shows the current state of email encryption in transit.
Many email providers don’t encrypt messages while they’re in transit. When you send or receive emails with one of these providers, your messages are as open to snoopers as a postcard in the mail. A growing number of email providers are working to change that by encrypting messages sent to and from their services using Transport Layer Security (TLS). Generally speaking, use of encryption in transit continues to increase over time, as more providers enable and maintain their support. Factors such as varying volumes of email may explain other fluctuations in these encryption statistics.
What is encryption? arrow_forwardSearch any domain (e.g. “example.com”) or string (e.g. “de”) to see how much of the email exchanged with Gmail is encrypted in transit.
Below is the percentage of emails encrypted for the top domains in terms of volume of email to and from Gmail, in alphabetical order.
Domain | % |
---|---|
From: adtcontrol.com via alarm.com | 90% |
From: alarm.com | 90% |
From: ctbcbank.com via hinet.net | 54% |
From: diamond.co.jp | 95% |
From: mptx.jp via emberpoint.com | 63% |
From: nikkeibp.co.jp | 87% |
From: santander.com.mx via iphmx.com | 94% |
From: sylectus.com | 25% |
From: tim.it | 95% |
From: tradevan.com.tw | 81% |
Domain | % |
---|---|
To: artandmartha.com | 0% |
To: bri.co.id | 0% |
To: ezweb.ne.jp via au.com | 0% |
To: juno.com via untd.com | 0% |
To: netzero.com via untd.com | 0% |
To: netzero.net via untd.com | 0% |
To: plala.or.jp | 3% |
To: softbank.jp | 0% |
To: softbank.ne.jp | 0% |
To: tiscali.it | 0% |
If you mail a letter to your friend, you’re hoping that she’ll be the only person who reads it. But a lot could happen to that letter on its way from you to her, and there may be prying eyes who try to read it. That’s why we send important messages in sealed envelopes rather than on the back of postcards. Sending and receiving email works in a similar way. But when you send or receive messages with an email provider who doesn't transmit messages via a secure connection, your emails could be open to snooping.
Encryption with Transport Layer Security keeps prying eyes away from your messages while they’re in transit. TLS is a protocol that encrypts and delivers mail securely, for both inbound and outbound mail traffic. It helps prevent eavesdropping between mail servers – keeping your messages private while they're moving between email providers. TLS is being adopted as the standard for secure email.
Your messages are encrypted only if you and the people with whom you exchange email both use email providers that support Transport Layer Security. Not every email provider uses TLS, and if you send or receive messages from a provider that doesn't, your message could be read by eavesdroppers. While TLS isn’t a perfect solution, if everyone uses it, snooping on email will be more difficult and costly than it is today.
More messages encrypted in transit make emails safer for all of us.