draft: article about email aliases

content/blog/2024/03/managing-email-aliases-with-protonmail-and-simplelogin-to-sort-automatically-into-inbox-folders-based-local-part.md

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+---
+title:
+  Managing Email Aliases with ProtonMail and SimpleLogin to sort automatically
+  into inbox folders based local part
+locale: en-CA
+date: &createdAt '2024-03-03T20:55:06-04:00'
+createdAt: *createdAt
+preamble:
+  disable: true
+  text: ' '
+categories:
+  - Organisation
+tags:
+  - favourites
+---
+
+I've been using ProtonMail for my email needs for quite some time now. Recently,
+I stumbled upon an intriguing feature: the ability to use our own domain names
+for email aliases, not just those provided by SimpleLogin and Proton. This
+discovery prompted me to make the switch, and I haven't looked back since.
+
+At first I liked the idea of email aliases but would not consider using anything
+and have recovery lost over time because I didn't own the domain name. Don’t get
+me wrong, SimpleLogin aliases are great and their best use-case is for privacy,
+to hide your real email. An account alias is a bit different.
+
+Let's backtrack a bit. Over the years, we've witnessed numerous breaches of
+security. With LastPass’ getting all their vaults backups copied by attackers,
+it was a wake up call for me to review my accounts. If you've had an email
+address for more than a decade, chances are it's already on multiple lists
+floating around the internet. One effective strategy to combat identity theft is
+to adopt strong passwords managed by a reliable password manager. However, when
+it comes to safeguarding against identity theft and unsolicited emails (spam),
+what else can we do?
+
+Enter the concept of email aliases. By having a different email address for
+every service or provider we interact with, we can effectively manage our online
+presence and minimize the risk of spam. With services like ProtonMail and
+SimpleLogin, creating aliases is quick and easy. This way, if a service or alias
+starts receiving spam, we can simply disable it and generate a new one.
+
+As part of my alias strategy, I've adopted the Proton Pass format, which allows
+for a random component alongside a designated name for the purpose. For example,
+`<service>.<something random>@alias.example.org`. To streamline the organization
+of these aliases, I've developed a Sieve script that automatically sorts
+incoming emails into appropriate folders.
+
+```sieve
+require ["include", "environment", "variables", "relational", "comparator-i;ascii-numeric", "spamtest"];
+
+require "envelope";
+require "fileinto";
+require "variables";
+require "regex";
+
+# Copy-Pasta BEGIN
+# This is recommended to be included in any custom sieve within Proton
+# Generated: Do not run this script on spam messages
+if allof (environment :matches "vnd.proton.spam-threshold" "*", spamtest :value "ge" :comparator "i;ascii-numeric" "${1}") {
+    return;
+}
+# Copy-Pasta END
+
+if address :matches :domain ["to", "cc", "bcc"] "alias.example.org" {
+  if address :matches :localpart "to" "*.*" {
+    # Make sure label Caught-by-sieve-alias exists
+    fileinto "Caught-by-sieve-alias";
+    set "local_part" "${1}";
+    set :lower "local_part" "${local_part}";
+    set "pigeon_hole" "${local_part}";
+    # Create the mailbox if it doesn't exist and file the email into it
+    # Make sure folder Boxes exists
+    fileinto "Boxes";
+    # Proton doesn’t support fileinto :create, instead give a parent, and tentatively try in pigeonhole
+    fileinto "Boxes/${pigeon_hole}";
+  }
+}
+```
+
+This Sieve script effectively sorts incoming emails based on their alias
+pattern. Emails with aliases like `[email protected]` or
+`[email protected]` are grouped under the "Box/amazon"
+directory, while emails like `[email protected]` are filed directly
+into the "Box" directory.
+
+By automating this organization process, I can maintain a clutter-free inbox and
+ensure that important emails are readily accessible.
+
+[lessons-from-lastpass]:
+  https://proton.me/blog/lessons-from-lastpass
+  'Lessons from LastPass'