Update June 2019: Tutanota has officially launched the encrypted contact form feature, which they call Secure Connect. This feature is ideal for privacy-conscious media outlets, websites, and whistleblowers who need security and anonymity. Since implementing this one year ago on Restore Privacy, it has become a very popular feature with readers regularly using it to send us tips, suggestions, and questions.
Restore Privacy is pleased to announce the launch of the Secure Communication Center.
The Secure Communication Center is powered by Tutanota and allows for:
- End-to-end encrypted communications between Restore Privacy and our visitors.
- Encrypted sharing of files and attachments.
- Anonymous contact options without having to use your email address, phone number, or personal information.
- Two-way, secure communication, allowing readers to read our response and reply to all messages inside the communication center.
All communications remain fully encrypted and secured on Tutanota servers in Germany.
Why was this launched?
Over the past year, I have received numerous requests for a secure, encrypted communication platform for Restore Privacy visitors. With the site growing, some readers want to send an anonymous tip – others may have random questions or suggestions for the site.
Before the implementation of our Secure Message Center, Restore Privacy was using a basic contact form for WordPress and a generic email provider designed for businesses. However, all that has now changed since switching over to Tutanota.
The Secure Communication Center is set up on its own subdomain and is accessible here.
To send us an encrypted message, simply click Create request. This pulls up a form where you can:
- Create a subject
- Draft a message
- Create a secure password to access our response and reply to the message
- Enter an email address for message alerts (totally optional)
- Add any attachments/files to the message
After you fill out the information and click send, Tutanota’s app will automatically encrypt the message and generate a random reply-to email address. Save this email address and the password you created, which will allow you to access our reply and respond if necessary to the message.
You can later check our response by clicking the Read response button, which brings up a login screen. Enter the login credentials from earlier and you can view and reply to any messages.
Finally, if you don’t want to go through the contact form, you can also get our direct email address by clicking the More information link. If you are an existing Tutanota user, you can also email us directly without going through the contact form, since Tutanota automatically encrypts messages to/from other Tutanota users.
Why did Restore Privacy choose Tutanota as our email provider?
Tutanota is recognized as an industry leader in encrypted email solutions. Their values also align with the mission of Restore Privacy. Here are some of the notable features of Tutanota:
- Encrypts the body of messages, attachments, and the subject line (which most secure email providers do not)
- Strips IP addresses from emails sent and received
- Entire mailbox, including emails and address book, are stored encrypted (encrypted at rest) on Tutanota servers in Germany
- Based in Germany, with strong privacy protection legislation
- Does not store user IP address for login or when emails are sent (no logs)
- Anonymous signup (no need for phone or email confirmation)
- Can use your own domain and set up an encrypted contact form
- Open source code (GitHub)
In terms of privacy and security, Tutanota is among the best you will find. Their encryption implementation secures emails from all third parties – even Tutanota cannot read your messages stored on their servers. They also offer free accounts with up to 1 GB of storage, as well as premium accounts with extra features and more storage.
You can check out the Secure Communication Center here or learn more about Tutanota email service.
Which domain is best for privacy in Tutanota?
.de
.io
.me
I don’t think it matters.
Hi Sven,
Don’t know if you’ve helped me but would like to think so.
Karma, timing, or luck – nope I believe action was the key.
Tutanota has answered my blog question with-
‘As of now, there is no way to buy premium without upgrading to a free account. So we kindly ask you to signup for a free account and upgrade afterwards.
We will implement direct upgrade within the following weeks!’
If you’d also offer the direct upgrade link, hopefully in some kind of Black Friday / Cyber Monday deal for Tutanota I will use it to help support your site. I don’t get into to crypto money but, would send a small cash donation to a P O Box for you.
Hope my other concerns for Tutanota to offer better than over the Reddit forum contact and adopt the concept as you have in a Secure Communication Center medium, also for them to utilize for noncustomers is addressed.
Thank you Sir…
Thanks for the update. Tutanota does not have any affiliate program as far as I know. No need for a cash donation (I don’t have a PO Box in use anyway), I’m glad you are finding the site useful.
Hi Sven Taylor
What do you think about Tutanota customer service/support for a user of free and/or paid account holders?
Or how and when they do answer there Blog questions – comments for any potential future user customers looking to them?
I think as in the second question it sucks and haven’t got to a position knowing about the first question asked to you.
I’ve asked this below question in two places or their blog and, well no answer yet, being 15 days now before asking it again.
” How can I buy into a Premium account without upgrading in Free account first? I see no way possible and no direct link to do so and should be supplied to skip that free account offered… ”
Could you bring this to Tutanota attention.
Suggest Tutanota also start it’s own ‘Secure Message Center’ as this article of yours advises for your users. (Thank you caring like this)…
Tutanota – ‘Contact Us’ link uses substandard FAQ’s and suggests this form of contact, ‘Reddit forum. If you do not find the answer there, please get a Reddit account and post your question there.’
From your own article – ‘Why You Need to Stop Using Reddit’ https://restoreprivacy.com/stop-using-reddit/
‘Reddit was an interesting and innovative platform back in the early days, but the creators quickly sold out to the Condé Nast media empire in 2006. Twelve years later, Reddit is now just another corporate, censored, privacy-abusing web platform.’
Tutanota clearly hasn’t got the memo yet it’s a privacy risk for users of it.
Suggest to Tutanota this is a poor medium to use…
I believe you – your growing on me more every-time I visit here as a source to check out first for any facts.
Because Tutanota hasn’t answered me on their blog I went looking at Protron and found out Black Friday / Cyber Monday is a time to get a two year subscription of both Plus email and VPN from Protron at a deep discount. Besides Stacksocial offering just a two year ProtronVPN Plus deal.
Till with and the time researching, I’ve just read your article / review about Protron…
Bad – Bad – Bad company to trust and to think I was headed that way. (THANK YOU AGAIN). And your users comments there were added help.
https://restoreprivacy.com/protonvpn-review/
May I suggest, leaving the original review date to a review of yours, and in just adding an UPDATED date to it’s review. Then in the parts that changed over time point it out by the currant date of that information as a way to know it was added to it over time. That would be a true time-line of events in facts revealed. No one I know of does it like that, and in your realm of researching and bring the facts out in a review might be a first.
We need a dedicated Tutanota review from you with a discount link for us that supports your site too.
Other reviews I’d like to see from you in the future are Domain name registrars, Hosting sites, Private Email hosting.
Like – https://www.namecheap.com/security.aspx
https://www.namecheap.com/hosting/email.aspx
Thoughts, comments are welcome and thank you Sir : )
Hello and thanks for your feedback. I will take your suggestions into consideration.
Regarding Tutanota, I know they are a very small team based in Germany, with limited resources (email is cheap/free), so that may explain the delay. I’ve sent their support department different questions and would typically hear back within 1 business day. Regarding your question, I have not seen a way to do what you are asking. It looks like you need to first create the free email, and then within your account go to Settings > Subscription, then select the level you want.
And by the way, I do like Namecheap – good products/services and very reasonable prices.