Secure IMAP (IMAPs) allows you to check safely your email even on non-secure networks. This is very important in order to protect your privacy and account security.

Thunderbird offers excellent IMAPs support and the following article describes how to enable it.

First we assume you have configured your email following the instructions on how to set up Thunderbird.

Even if you are using a different webhost the instructions are similar.

The most important thing is to find out which IMAPs server to use. If you are a SiteGround client, go to yourdomain.com/cpanel.

You will be redirected to something like https://secureXXX.sgcpanel.com:2083. This means that your IMAPs server is secureXXX.sgcpanel.com.

It is essential to use exactly this server name because our SSL is issued for *.sgcpanel.com. If you connect by IMAPs with any other server name, there will be an SSL warning that the certificate does not match the host. This warning is not fatal but it will pop up you every time you open your email client.

Once you have found out your IMAPs server name, open Thunderbird and go to Edit > Account Settings. There find your email account and navigate to Server Settings and follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Server Name is set to the IMAPs server you have just found out.

2. Under Security Settings, check SSL for Use Secure Connection.

3. To apply the changes click 'OK' at the bottom.

From this point on you will be checking your email securely using IMAPs.