How do I protect my email account from getting hacked?

[Vento]

Not that my email account has been hacked. But I would rather like to be cautious and safe rather being in a mess and then posting this. Can you all guide me through ways and means to be safe from e-mail id hacks?

You may even share any not-so-good experience if you’ve ever had. That might make the readers more aware of this dangerous identity theft.

[Genuine]

Yes a bad bad experience. I would like to forget that day when this happened. All my friends started getting stupid mails from me. All I could do is delete the entire account and re-route my e-mail id to some other id.

It can get disastrous, I tell you.

Great initiative of posting this dude. I’m sure, many people will benefit from this.

Even I’m looking forward for some expert advice on the issue.

[Aaryan2011]

Even I would like to start with appreciating the effort. However, let me enlist some precautions I take.
- First, my e-mail account doesn't have any contacts listed there;my contacts list is stored third party Portable client.

- I keep all sensitive information in encrypted format

- My e-mail password comprises 15 characters, including: capitals, minuscule, numbers, and symbols.

- I do not participate in chain letters, and advice loved ones to refrain as well.

- I do not open spam messages

- I scan all attachments

[Kakashi Hatake]

I’ve never experienced since I’m this ultra conscious individual since I’m moderator of tutorial webgroup. An err at my end would hamper many other individual’s security. I do abide by all above precautions but would like to add a couple of them more to the list.

I do all my mail checking things online. So I get a choice of what to download and what not to. I offend many loved ones by asking them to keep me away from chain messages. It’s better to offend them than regretting over a foolish act.

[Zared]

These suggestions are worth following. But I guess for a lay man, these would sound too complicated.

So, simplifying it for all my dear friends, I would like to enlist a few precautionary methods:
1. Use good strong passwords on all of your on-line accounts -- make them different (if possible).
2. Keep auto-scan for all incoming e-mails ON
3. If someone requests private information, even If it’s a close friend, say a blunt NO
4. Use common sense and don’t fall prey to stupid emails requesting details.
5. Be careful about the websites you visit