The main difference between Web-based e-mail and "regular" e-mail is location. A Web-based email account lets you access your mail from any computer connected to the Web. You can also use web-based e-mails to give it to people that you do not know well enough or you do not trust. On the other hand, they are not secure. For example, passwords of the hotmail used to be easily found by sending specific Java code to the mailbox. There were several other methods to crack down web-based e-mails in the past, and tried to be fixed. I am sure there are more methods out there and hackers will find new vulnerabilities. It is still difficult to crack a good password. Do not send very important, very private messages through e-mails regardless if it is regular or web-based and ensure that you have a good password.