Petraeus’s emails weren’t private, and neither are yours. That should be the biggest takeaway from the Petraeus affair scandal, uncovered through a trail that circled back to a Gmail account that Petraeus and his mistress, Paula Broadwell, shared. People are saying Petraeus wasn’t a good CIA director because he couldn’t keep his emails secret, but the reality is that almost no one can under current laws.
We’ll start out with our 5 tech tips for more private email, then explain underneath how the whole salacious story unfolded and how the law made it possible.
5 Tips for more private email
Free email services may be easy, but they aren’t private. If you want more private email, it’ll take a little effort.
1. Hide your IP address by using a VPN whenever you log into your email account
VPN stands for “
virtual private network.” It creates a secure tunnel between your computer and the site you’re visiting, allowing you to use public wifi networks at places like cafes and airports without worrying about others accessing your connection.
