What are the consequences of having your email account stolen? The repercussions are much more than sending spam emails to friends and family or having prying eyes in your personal messages:

Your entire online identity depends on the safety of your email.

Think about what happens when you forget your password to your bank account, insurance website, facebook … or practically any online system. You receive a password reset link in your email, and it’s actually very convenient and helpful. Unfortunately, this process is also convenient and helpful to the sinister man (or woman) who gained access to your email account when you left your smartphone/iPad/tablet/computer unlocked and unattended (it isn’t a genius computer hacker that has gained access to your email; no, this is a realistic scenario).

The genius in choosing to steal an email account is that it not only grants access to the victim’s other accounts, but old emails inform Mr/Ms. Sinister what accounts are readily available for stealing thanks to newsletters, receipts, or other automatically emailed account information.

Being negligent with your email account security is like asking to be robbed while providing suggestions for ways in which to do it.