POP3S
What is Port 995?
Port 995 is the standard port for POP3 over SSL/TLS (POP3S), providing encrypted email retrieval. Like IMAPS on port 993, POP3S wraps the POP3 protocol in TLS encryption from the start of the connection. POP3S offers the same download-and-delete email model as POP3 on port 110 but ensures that credentials and email content are protected during transmission. POP3S is recommended over plaintext POP3 by RFC 8314. While IMAP/IMAPS is generally preferred for its multi-device synchronization capabilities, POP3S remains useful for users who want to download email to a single device, offline access, or local email archiving. Many email providers continue to support POP3S alongside IMAPS for backward compatibility.
Common Uses
- Secure email download to single devices
- Encrypted offline email access
- Legacy email client compatibility with encryption
- Automated email retrieval for processing pipelines
Technical Details
Copy-paste commands to check port 995 (POP3S) from your terminal
Test connectivity
nc -zv example.com 995
curl -v --max-time 5 http://example.com:995/
telnet example.com 995
nmap -p 995 -sV example.com
(echo > /dev/tcp/example.com/995) 2>/dev/null && echo "open" || echo "closed"
Open port in firewall
sudo ufw allow 995/tcp
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 995 -j ACCEPT
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=995/tcp && sudo firewall-cmd --reload
Security Considerations
POP3S provides transport encryption, addressing POP3's plaintext vulnerability. However, since POP3 typically downloads and deletes messages from the server, a compromised client means emails cannot be recovered. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. Consider IMAPS for better server-side message retention and multi-device access.
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