This form of cybercrime is increasingly common because we share personal information online more than ever.

your Social Security number (SSN) can be used to open lines of credit in your name and impersonate you offline and online

If you must share sensitive information, you should take the necessary steps to 

protect it from unauthorized third parties

Show alternatives to sharing your SSN via email

Teach you how to send your Social Security number safely via email

Reveal which email service provider is the safest option

Alternatives to sharing your SSN via email

Don’t send your Social Security number in an email unless absolutely necessary. The request for your SSN is likely a scam. Even if it’s not, malicious third parties can intercept your email correspondence and obtain this sensitive piece of info.

Once someone asks for your SSN, you’ve got two options:

Ask for an alternative way to verify your identity

Here are some details that can stand in for your SSN:

In case sharing your SSN via email appears to be the only option, even though it rarely is, the following questions are in order:

Will you share my SSN with third parties?

a business or organization can deny services if you don’t comply with their request for your Social Security number.

 Some businesses impose additional fees in such cases or require a deposit, but 

legitimate companies won’t insist on sharing your SSN via email. 

If someone is asking you to do this, you’re likely dealing with an online scam.

Why is sharing your Social Security number dangerous?

Legitimate requesters will not insist on receiving your SSN via email, text, or over a website. You may have to disclose your information, but it doesn't have to be via digital communication channels. If you receive such a request, 

always ask for an alternative way to provide it

If you still decide to respond to the request, 

check if the person requesting it is who they say they are.

 The following persons and institutions may legitimately ask for your Social Security number:

Even if it seems like the email did come from one of these sources, tread carefully. Hackers often employ a tactic called 

 and sending an email with a request for your personal information.

These emails may instruct you to provide your SSN or lead you to a 

fake bank or government institution website.

 There you may find a fraudulent form instructing you to enter your SSN or other confidential information.

Before opening suspicious links or responding to emails from unconfirmed sources, 

conduct a Google search for the real domain 

of the organization that has supposedly sent you the request. Never send your SSN via email if you’re not absolutely certain you’re dealing with a legitimate sender.

You can’t control where your email might be forwarded, so you have no way of knowing which third parties might obtain your personal data. Only disclose your Social Security number when you’re certain it won’t be misused.

Once you’ve verified that the request for your Social Security number is legitimate and you opt for sending it via email, you can choose one of three ways to do it safely:

 with a password—an excellent way to implement an additional 

 while sending sensitive information like an SSN.

Google is the only mainstream email service provider that supports 

, require you to use third-party apps and extensions to enable this feature

, which makes the situation more risky, considering another company may access your password and email messages.

This mode prevents anyone without a password from reading your message. It also limits the options for the intended recipient because they can’t print, copy, or forward the email.

set an expiry date for your email or revoke access to it manually

—convenient options for a message containing your SSN. For example, you can inform the recipient that they have a few minutes to verify your identity with your SSN, after which you’ll delete the email to prevent misuse.

To turn on Confidential Mode, follow these steps:

Choose the message’s expiration date, if you want one

The recipient must enter the passcode they receive via SMS before opening the email.

While useful, Gmail’s Confidential Mode has two major downsides:

The message is not encrypted, and hackers can still intercept it

You must have the recipient’s phone number to implement password protection

Spyware for intercepting SMS messages has been widely available for years, and hackers can use it to learn the verification code if they have the sender’s or the recipient’s phone number.

Gmail’s password protection is also impractical for official correspondence, as a request for your SSN typically comes from a government agency, bank, or another institution. You won’t know the phone number of the person addressing you on behalf of the organization.

How to send a password-protected attachment

. You can write your SSN in a PDF or DOC file and send it as an email attachment.

Enter the desired password into the prompt

If you’re using Microsoft Office, you can

While password-protected files offer a higher 

 A brute force attack from a powerful computer could 

 method, scrambling the contents of your messages and ensuring no one except the intended recipient can decrypt and read them. Mainstream email providers usually offer some type of 

Check out the most common encryption types in the table below:

 (E2EE) is the only method that provides complete 

 from the moment of sending until it reaches the recipient.

, so they’re already protected by the time they reach a server, ensuring hackers attempting a 

Unfortunately, mainstream email services like Google, 

, and Microsoft provide standard encryption in transit to their users by default. You can only ensure complete email protection with a 

Skiff Mail—the safest way to share personal information

—Shared between the corresponding parties

—Unique to the recipient and always stored on their device

no one but you and the intended recipient can access your emails

—not even Skiff’s developers. Your data will never be misused for ad targeting or other unauthorized actions.

Skiff’s zero-knowledge policy ensures your username and password aren’t stored on its servers.

 Your login data can only be retrieved with a document generated and kept on your device.

Skiff provides more than a secure way to send confidential information via email. The platform includes three other E2EE products:

—An advanced text editor you can use to create 

—A secure cloud storage solution with up to 1 TB of encrypted space

—Confidential scheduling tool with Skiff Mail integration

How to send your Social Security number safely via email—three easy methods

 and individuals storing their files on the cloud. The fear is legitimate because cloud security threats continuously evolve as attackers find new ways to exploit system vulnerabilities.

proper cybersecurity hygiene can keep your data safe

 from prying eyes. According to Verizon, 82% of attacks 

, so educating yourself on common threats and taking the necessary precautions is enough to protect your cloud space.

To help you stay safe online, this guide will 

outline the most severe dangers and ways to avert them

Examining cloud security threats and their consequences

While businesses are more common targets of cyberattacks than individuals, both user groups risk cloud breaches 

Misconfiguration—the leading cloud security threat

According to the NSA, misconfiguration is the 

, despite being the most preventable one. It happens when a user or the cloud administrator doesn’t set up proper security layers, exposing a large attack surface.

A good example is a misconfigured restriction of outbound traffic, which 

—Besides securing your master data, you must protect backups and limit access to them

—Continuous traffic monitoring is essential for identifying and responding to security threats

—Relying on your cloud provider to store login credentials is extremely risky, as any server breach can give the attacker access to them

Account hijacking due to insufficient security

 and similar attacks involving account takeover. This is not a surprise, considering the amount of invaluable data they store. To keep your account safe, you must familiarize yourself with the common attack types so that you can recognize the signs of a scam.

main attacks that can result in account hijacking

The risks of unsecured additional software

This threat is particularly prevalent in business cloud environments. As you scale your operations, you’ll likely connect various services to your 

 to boost your efficiency and productivity. Unless such platforms have 

, they can become weak links an attacker can exploit.

 if you install add-ons coming from unreputable sources. That’s why 

most cloud providers have a specific list of plug-ins and supported software

Before adding a platform to your workflow, 

do your due diligence and assess its security measures

. Keep close track of all connected services, and limit authorization for adding new ones.

Much like local storage, cloud drives can be infected with different types of malicious programs. The most common malware type affecting cloud environments is ransomware, which holds the target’s data for ransom until they meet the attacker’s conditions.

External services like VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and RDPs (Remote Desktop Protocols) are 

the most common ransomware delivery vectors

, which ties back to the importance of choosing your connected platforms wisely.

How to ensure cloud-based threat protection

As daunting as the above dangers might seem, you can minimize the chances of falling victim to them by following a few steps:

Have clear cloud data protection policies

 with strong passwords and two-factor authentication

Follow the necessary cloud data protection practices

In light of the ever-growing cyber threats, 

 emerged as an essential security concept. It’s a collection of safety policies particularly important to business users, although individuals should implement them as well to safeguard their files and data.

Some of the core cloud data protection guidelines include

Keeping your business and personal accounts separate and 

 even if you use a VPN, as an average solution can’t offer sufficient protection

cloud provider has the necessary security layers

 (firewalls, physical server security, and zero-trust protocols)

Set complex passwords and enable two-factor authentication

Brute force attacks can guess simple passwords in seconds. The same goes for dictionary attacks, which start with common passphrases or the target’s personal details.

use complex combinations of alphanumeric and special characters

. Shifting between upper and lowercase is also helpful, as is staying away from common keyboard patterns (e.g., 

use password generators and strength checkers

 to create random passphrases virtually impregnable by brute force software. For instance, several checkers showed that a password like 

 would take two hundred million years to crack using a typical program.

Still, password attacks are far from the most elaborate threats, so 

you need additional security layers like two-factor authentication

. Even if someone guesses/steals your credentials, they won’t have access to your storage without the one-time code sent to your 

Secure your files and data with end-to-end encryption

As mentioned in the ransomware explanation, encryption makes data unreadable to everyone but the decryption key holder. Instead of falling victim to this technology, you can leverage it to ensure only you and authorized parties can see the contents of your files.

. Other types, like encryption at rest or in transit, happen on the cloud provider’s server, meaning they create and hold the decryption keys. This gives them access to your files, endangering your privacy and confidentiality.

. Your cloud provider only stores encrypted data, so the risk of sensitive files leaking is virtually zero. Even if an attacker breaches the server, they can’t see data in plaintext without your private decryption key.

Note that this level of privacy and security isn’t offered by most Big Tech providers like Google Drive or Dropbox. 

If you want complete confidentiality and protection, 

Protect your files with Skiff Drive’s cutting-edge security measures

 uses end-to-end encryption to give every user full ownership and control over their files. Your data is shielded with two keys:

The public key that gets shared among users

The private decryption key that remains on your device and 

can’t be accessed by anyone—including Skiff’s team

Only the users you decide to share your files with can see the unencrypted copies.

To protect your cloud from phishing and password attacks, 

Skiff supports two-factor authentication and zero-knowledge login

. Your credentials aren’t stored on the platform’s servers, and you don’t have to leave any personal information to 

. You get complete anonymity and privacy to enjoy peace of mind when storing sensitive files.

, so you can share files without privacy concerns. You can also opt-in for InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) storage to save files in a secure, decentralized environment.

, so all of its security measures are verifiable. Anyone can inspect the codebase by 

 for an inside look into the platform’s cryptography and available features.

If you own any crypto assets or want to communicate anonymously, 

Create a secure ecosystem with Skiff’s privacy-first products

Once you sign up for Skiff Drive, you’ll get access to three additional end-to-end encrypted platforms:

 unreadable by everyone but the recipient

—Create unlimited docs and enjoy invite-based collaboration in a secure cloud environment

—Schedule private events and video conferences

 to start creating a comprehensive E2EE workflow.

Skiff offers a robust free plan with 10 GB of secure storage and all of the above benefits. There’s no time limit to the plan, so you can enjoy Skiff’s advanced security without restrictions by following three steps:

Upload files to Skiff Drive and explore other E2EE products

If you need more storage or additional features, 

. The following table compares all tiers and their key benefits:

If you’re using another cloud provider and want more security, 

you can transfer all your files to Skiff Drive easily with the platform’s one-click migration

. Unencrypted copies won’t be stored, so you can enjoy outstanding security from the moment you transition.

The four biggest cloud security threats and how to prevent them

Your phone houses a wealth of important files, from family photos to sensitive docs. Should anything happen to your device, you risk losing all those files and data unless you store them on a cloud drive.

The problem is, choosing the right cloud storage service is challenging. With so many options promising to be the best one, it takes extensive research to weed out subpar solutions and find the right app for your needs and budget.

, we will cover the main factors to consider when comparing apps. You will also see 

 so you can pick the one that checks all the necessary boxes.

What to look for in Android cloud storage

Cloud providers compete by filling their platforms with numerous features, but only a handful of them make a true difference to your experience. When you take out the bells and whistles, you are left with three deal-breakers:

The whole point of cloud drives is to have your files securely backed up in a remote space. If your provider can’t give you peace of mind, no other feature can compensate for it. You must find a service that gives you full control over your files and data without privacy risks.

Cloud security depends on numerous factors, most notably

Encryption is debatably the most important factor

, as it directly impacts the risk of data theft. It’s a way of scrambling data into strings of unintelligible characters so that plaintext versions are 

only visible to users with the decryption key

Most providers offer some level of encryption, protecting your data while it’s resting on their servers or traveling between endpoints. The problem is that encryption is done using the platform’s keys, so 

your provider can access unencrypted versions of your files

choosing a service offering end-to-end encryption (E2EE)

. With E2EE, files are encrypted on your device before being uploaded, so the cloud drive only stores ciphered versions. 

The decryption key is created and stored on your device

, so nobody but the users you share your files with can see their contents.

The importance of a user-friendly interface

The user interface is a key determinant of the overall experience, and it’s particularly important on mobile devices. A smaller footprint means the design must be well executed to ensure every feature is intuitive and fluid.

Modern cloud solutions typically feature a clean, minimalistic design while ensuring outstanding interactivity and accessibility. Striking this balance isn’t easy, so 

many apps compromise on the design in favor of features

. Thankfully, several providers know how to offer both, as you’ll see in the reviews further down this guide.

Seamless syncing between devices to ensure continuity

There’s a high chance you’ll want to access your files beyond your phone. Instead of having to mail them to yourself or use other unnecessarily complicated methods, you should opt for a cloud service that offers cross-platform support.

You should be able to manage your storage from a browser, desktop/laptop, and phone without friction. Automatic syncing can make this happen by 

keeping your storage updated regardless of the device you use to upload new files

With cross-device syncing, you can stay productive on the go and make sure you 

don’t lose any changes to your files when switching between devices

Best Android cloud storage—three providers reviewed

Numerous cloud services have gained traction in the last few years, but some have risen above the competition:

, so the rest of this guide will weigh their pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.

Box is a robust storage and collaboration platform suitable for individual and 

, though it’s more focused on the latter. It’s packed with features and used by many reputable companies like Airbnb and Morgan Stanley, but its security measures aren’t top-of-the-line.

Box offers a free plan and various tiers for 

—$12.76 per month ($9.57 per month billed annually)

—$6.38/user per month ($4.78 per month billed annually)

—$19.34/user per month ($14.35 per month billed annually)

—$31.90/user per month ($23.92 per month billed annually)

—$44.66/user per month ($33.49 per month billed annually)

Jason Ginsberg