Countermail review

The scandal that relates to large email providers and their abuses of customer data shows no sign of abating. Digital giants such as Microsoft, Twitter, Google and Facebook have all faced legal action after it was revealed that they were guilty of practices that compromised user confidentiality.

These included scanning email data and then using this data mining to sell advertising. Other data, such as locational data, was provided to advertisers for similar purposes. In all cases, once customer data was released into the market, the original company naturally lost control of it. This means that – through commercial arrangement or by leak – the private data of millions of customers is likely to be circulating in the public domain.

It is expected that details of further leaks will be made public – retrospectively – over time. Of course, once these breaches of trust and of law are reported on, the damage is long since done. Email users should also know that public organizations such as the government have the right and ability to scan email content and data in countries such as the UK.

So if you are considering using a secure email client, now is very much the time to do so! A secure email client does what the name suggests. It offers a completely secure and private email experience, using state-of-the-art encryption and privacy technology. This ensures that no snooping of your email content can occur.

Additionally, no data is ever sold on or used for advertising. Although these providers operate strictly within the law, some will locate their HQ or servers in countries such as Switzerland which have some of the toughest privacy laws in the world.

What is Countermail

Countermail was recently updated and now requires an invite code from existing users for registration.

Countermail is one of these secure email service providers, and our Countermail review will tell you what you need to know about the features and benefits on offer.

Countermail features

The features of Countermail include:

• No-disk web servers
  Some secure email clients use discs in their servers, which can be used to preserve data. However, Countermail only uses no-disc servers which operate from a CD-ROM to ensure total privacy.
• Protection against MTM attacks
  The company is the only secure email provider of its kind to offer protection against the growing threat of MTM, or Man In The Middle attacks. The encryption in use – OPenPGP – protects email contents as well as user identity.

Other features and benefits:

1. 1. Total end-to-end security – Countermail hasn’t yet been breached
   2. The ability to send anonymised email headers
   3. Secure and portable email addresses from any browser
   4. The ability to create secure forms using pre-made templates for ease
   5. Compatibility with Android phones

1. A huge array of anonymous and dynamic email aliases
2. The ability to use an IMAP server if for any reason you prefer to use your email client
3. Support for MacOX X, Windows and Linux
4. The opportunity to choose and make use of your own domain name
5. Customer services support and help as required
6. A basic calendar and chat feature.

Countermail pricing

You can try Countermail for one week entirely free. A 6-month subscription with 1000 MB of data costs $29 or $4.83 a month. A 12-month subscription with 2000 MB of data costs $49 or $4 a month. You can also sign up to two years of the service for $79 or $3.29 a month.

You can also purchase extra space for a one-time additional fee.

Is Countermail safe

Yes. It uses a cutting-edge encryption technology called OpenPGP. Currently, no known method exists to crack this code, so it remains completely secure. The technologies behind the secure email client are extremely advanced and constantly being reviewed and enhanced.

The team behind Countermail stress tests the system regularly and has processes in place that absolutely guarantee confidentiality and security for their users. For example, no IP addresses are ever logged. Customers can sign up to the service using Bitcoin if they wish for total privacy.

However, many users are opting to utilize a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in addition. This helps to anonymize them while their not just sending emails, but also while their browsing the internet. After all, a VPN can help anonymize users by using military-grade encryption on their data, as well as spoofing their IP address so that they seem to be coming from another location.

In fact, using both Countermail and a secure VPN is a great choice for added security.

Countermail vs ProtonMail

Our Countermail review found the following similarities and differences between the two secure email providers. Here is Countermail vs ProtonMail comparison:

Countermail review summary

Countermail is extremely secure and ideal for users who wish to preserve their rights to privacy and anonymity at all costs. The interface is designed for more ‘techy’ users and lacks the design aesthetics of some more commercial platforms. It is also important to note that if you forget your password, you won’t be able to retrieve it and your emails will be lost. This is testament to the degree of security that the system offers!

It’s a great platform for users who have a higher degree of technical know-how and who want to have the ability to customise the way that their email security is managed and handled. Countermail is cost-effective, proven and highly regarded amongst the digital community as a quality provider delivered on an open-source platform.

The owner is completely committed to building and maintaining the safest possible secure email client and users can have total confidence in the quality of the service.