2020 will be here before you know it. Is one of your New Year resolutions “to get more organized”? Hushmail aliases can help you get there. 

A Hushmail alias is an email address you can use other than your primary address. It sends from and receives email to your primary Hushmail account. Aliases end in @nym.hush.com, but you can choose anything you want to put in front of that domain. Your real name will not show up when you use an alias so you can go incognito in your communications. But hiding your identity isn’t the only reason to use an alias. Read on.

Why use an alias?

Our customers use aliases for a number of reasons. They can be a big help in organizing your email,  protecting yourself from email scams, and preventing unnecessary clutter in your inbox. Here are a few of the ways you can use aliases to help you maintain order over your communications.

Aliases help reduce spam

Almost everywhere you go, online and off, making a purchase usually means putting in an email address. Some of the resulting emails might be welcome, but chances are, you’ll delete most of them immediately, or possibly let them pile up in your inbox. When promotions are mixed up with all of your other emails, it can be difficult to sort them out. However, if you gave an alias instead of your normal email, you can easily identify that email as spam and delete it or unsubscribe. Or you can delete that alias, and the emails will stop. You can create as many aliases as you want, so once one is deleted, you can create another one for the same purpose.   

Aliases help fight phishing

Phishing is when someone impersonates, or “spoofs,” a person or company to trick the target into handing over personal information or credentials. Criminals use the information to log in to steal identities, money, confidential information, and anything else of value. Phishing is very sophisticated and can be difficult to detect. However, aliases give you a significant advantage. By using a specific alias for each of your important accounts or contacts (e.g., bank account, financial advisor, employer, etc.), you’ll know very quickly that if a suspicious email comes to your primary account, it’s very likely a phishing attempt.

Aliases help you track leads

Aliases are also a great way to track leads you collect from conferences and other events by making it easy to identify what leads are coming from what event. All you have to do is generate an alias to give out at the event (and only that event). When emails come in later, you'll know exactly where they're coming from. 

How to use aliases

Creating and using aliases is simple and doesn’t take any more effort than using your primary address.

You’ll need to go into your Hushmail webmail to create an alias. Click on Preferences, then Email aliases. Decide on an alias address that suits its purpose. For example, if you’re going to the APA 2020 conference, you might name your alias APA2020@nym.hush.com. Don’t worry about creating an address that isn’t perfect. You can create as many aliases as you want. If one doesn’t work out the way you planned, you can always create another one. You can put anything you want in front of the @nym.hush.com as long as it isn’t already taken.

To send an email with an alias, select the alias from the From drop-down menu. All of your aliases will be listed there along with your primary address. You can also choose to use an alias when you use Hushmail for iPhone.

To manage your aliases, go to Email aliases in your webmail Preferences. There you can delete aliases you no longer want to use or receive email to, and create new aliases. 

Hushmail aliases make organizing easier

As you can see, aliases are easy-to-use tools that will make managing your emails simpler and more efficient. If you have a Hushmail account, you’re already set up to start using aliases. If you don’t have a Hushmail account, the ability to create as many aliases as you want is automatically included with all of our plans. 

If you’re resolving to organize your emails in the new year, using the alias feature that comes with your Hushmail account is a great place to start.