The purpose of a recovery option is a backup plan in case you ever lose or forget your password.
Email accounts hold a ton of personal information and typically are linked to your sensitive information such as banking, business information, online shopping or social media accounts.
An email address is like a physical address on any street, it’s a location online where you can send and receive messages to various addresses, just like postal mail.
Similar to postal mail, unless you have a lock wherever your mail is stored, anyone has access that mail. With the Internet of Things and current vulnerabilities in device security, this is becoming more and more of a risk.
Just like the key to the mailbox, your password is the key to your email account.You won’t be able to log in without the password.
Due to many reasons, a person might forget or lose their email password. Email companies provide recovery options as an alternative way to get back into your account. This allows them to verify your identity and that you are the one making these changes.
Keep this in mind when setting up any recovery options. Anyone that has access to your password or forms of recovery will have access to your email and will be able to reset your email password and settings.
This is how online accounts can be easily hacked.
In the case that someone has compromised your account, typically they will go through and change your password as well as remove your recovery options so that you can’t get back in. Make sure to keep your passwords safe and that no one else has access to your recovery options.
If you ever lose access to any of those recovery options, for example, a change of your phone number, you’ll want to be sure to update your account with your new information as soon as possible and remove the old recovery option.
To learn more about editing, adding, or removing email recovery options use HelpCloud Search and search “Edit/Add/Delete recovery options”.