{"description":"A VPN protects your connection, not your mailbox. What end-to-end and zero-access encryption mean, and what Proton Mail and Hushmail state about their encrypted email.","language":"en","latest_measurement":"2026-10-17","method":"latency-v3","method_page":"https://crackthe.net/method/","source":"https://crackthe.net/","text":"Key points\nA VPN hides your IP address and your browsing from your internet provider. It does not protect what is stored in your mailbox. A regular email provider can read every message that is not end-to-end encrypted, and so can anyone who gets access to its servers. To extend your privacy, use an email provider that puts privacy first next to your VPN. Two examples: Proton Mail and Hushmail. What a VPN does not cover A VPN encrypts the path from your device to the VPN server. Your emails, though, are stored on the servers of your email provider, often for years. The VPN changes nothing about who can read them there.\nYouwrite an email Your email providercan read it, unless it is end-to-end encrypted The recipient\u0026#39;s providercan read it too Recipient Without end-to-end encryption, every provider on the way can read your messages. A VPN only protects the first step, from your device to the VPN server. Three kinds of email encryption KindWhat it protectsWho can still read the message Transport encryption (TLS)the trip between serverseach email provider on the way Zero-access encryptionstored mail on the provider\u0026rsquo;s serversyou; the provider says it cannot End-to-end encryptionthe message from sender to recipientonly sender and recipient Most large email services use transport encryption. Zero-access and end-to-end encryption are what privacy-focused providers add.\nVPN and private email: what each one does VPNPrivate email Hides your IP address from websitesyesno Hides your browsing from your internet provideryesno Protects stored messagesnoyes, with zero-access encryption Protects message content to the recipientnoyes, with end-to-end encryption The two do different jobs. Used together, they cover your connection and your mailbox.\nTwo providers that put privacy first The following comes from the providers\u0026rsquo; own websites. This archive does not measure or test email services.\nScreenshot of proton.me, October 17, 2026 Proton Mail In its own words: “Secure email that protects your privacy” End-to-end and zero-access encryption: “Zero-access encryption means we never see your inbox, on any plan.”A free plan: “Proton Mail will always offer a free secure email plan.”Run by Proton AG, which says it is incorporated and headquartered in Switzerland; the same company runs Proton VPN. Go to Proton Mail\nScreenshot of www.hushmail.com, October 17, 2026 Hushmail In its own words: “Encrypted Email and E-Signable Forms” Encryption per email: “To encrypt an email, just click the toggle.”Encrypted email and e-signable forms, mainly for healthcare, legal, and small-business use; also offered for personal use.No free plan listed; its website offers a 14-day free trial of the healthcare plan. Go to Hushmail\nFrom the providers\u0026#39; own websites, checked on October 17, 2026. Email services are not measured or tested in this archive.\nProton Mail comes from Proton AG, the company behind Proton VPN, which this archive does track. On the Proton VPN page you can see what our data shows about its server list, its website, and its audits as Proton describes them.\nHushmail focuses on professionals who handle sensitive client data, such as therapists and lawyers, and adds forms that clients can sign online. It also offers plans for personal use.\nHow to switch without losing mail Create the new account and turn on two-factor authentication. Forward your old address to the new one for a few months, so nothing gets lost. Update your important accounts (bank, government services, shopping) to the new address, one by one. Tell your contacts. End-to-end encryption works best when both sides use it; check how each provider handles messages to people outside its service. Encryption is not anonymity. The provider still knows your account, your payment details if you pay, and when you log in. A VPN can hide your IP address from it; your logins still identify you.\nNext step If you have not chosen a VPN yet, the VPN finder shows which providers meet your points. All guides are listed on the guides overview.","title":"Beyond the VPN: private email with Proton Mail and Hushmail","url":"https://crackthe.net/learn/private-email/"}