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Security Information |
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Is Your Email Private? Part 1 of 3
In a word, no - an email message has always been nothing more than a simple text message sent unencrypted to a recipient we choose. So all the email that we so blithely send all over the Internet everyday is neither private nor secure. Every birthday greeting or Dear John email, every complaint, rant or verbal purge we may have sent to our employers, credit companies, congressman or customer service rep is subject to delivery errors or outright interception. How can this be? To answer that we need to understand how email works. For the vast majority of email users today, the email system they use consists of two servers providing incoming and outgoing services, SMTP and POP3. The SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server handles the outgoing email. SMTP was designed years ago when plain ascii text was all there was to send via email. So, when you push the "Send" button in your email client, the SMTP server at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) connects with the incoming POP3 (Post Office Protocol ver. 3) server where you are sending the email. The servers have a short "chat" verifying that the email address you are trying to send to exists on the incoming POP3 server. Then the SMTP server passes the message to the POP3 server and the POP3 server puts the message into the recipient's email box. At no time during the process is your email encrypted to protect your privacy. The message could be intercepted at anytime during the process and read by anyone. On occasion, email sent to you or by you may even be delivered to the wrong inbox and your private message is no longer private. A single misdirected message could expose you to all kinds of trouble depending upon it's content. Well, no one wants to read your email right? Wrong! Have you ever heard of Carnivore? That's a system that the FBI uses to harvest all email traffic going through a network. How does this affect you? When the FBI hooks Carnivore up to your ISP's network because they suspect someone of dealing drugs or some other crime, Carnivore will filter through ALL email looking for keywords that relate to the crime in question. And because the search has to be intentionally vague, you may be sending a request for information about a prescription drug you take and Carnivore will harvest your email to be read by a human agent. Suddenly, the drugs you're taking are now public knowledge. Spammers have also been known to harvest email addresses via captured emails. OK - so now that you know the problem, what should you do about securing your privacy? It was hinted at earlier on... encryption! Learn how to use PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) to encrypt your email. PGP uses a Public/Private key method to encrypt email. First you create a "Public" key. This is the key that others will use to encrypt email sent to you. Send this key to everyone you want to receive encrypted email from. Then you create a "Private" key. This is the key you use to decrypt any encrypted email sent to you. Safeguard this key well. It is the only thing that can decrypt your messages. If you tell someone what it is or loose it, your privacy is again compromised. For more information on PGP and a free download visit: http://www.pgpi.org. Next Time: Incorporating PGP into your email... Michael Ameye has been developing web sites since 1995. He started writing about online privacy issues to answer questions from family, friends and co-workers. Visit http://www.canyourspam.com to see his latest work. He is also the chief editor of PSS Online, A Privacy, Safety and Security eZine dedicated to bringing important information to people in order to foster a safer more secure environment - online and off. Visit http://www.pssonline.info to subscribe.
MORE RESOURCES: Harris Pledges Security Assistance, Partnership in Ghana Visit Voice of America - VOA News Microsoft pushes OOB security updates for Windows Snipping tool flaw BleepingComputer Executive Order on Prohibition on Use by the United States ... The White House Biden bans government use of commercial spyware that may pose a ... SiliconANGLE News Running a security program before your first security hire Help Net Security Balancing security risks and innovation potential of shadow IT teams Help Net Security Japan’s new security policies: A long road to full implementation Brookings Institution Roof replacements, security vestibules among improvements in ... Alaska Public Media News Counter-Terrorism: High-level Debate : What's In Blue Security Council Report Survey Surfaces Need to Change SecOps Priorities Security Boulevard UN Security Council turns down request for Nord Stream inquiry Al Jazeera English Importance of school security FOX 13 Tampa WCPS starts security assistants program to curb student misbehavior Herald-Mail Media UA releases security assessment outlining systemic safety issues Arizona Public Media LA Metro adding new security officers amid safety concerns FOX 11 Los Angeles NEW: Shaheen Leads 37 Senators in Letter to Pentagon ... Senator Jeanne Shaheen Tausight expands its AI-based PHI Security Intelligence platform to ... Help Net Security What you need before the next vulnerability hits Help Net Security Improve Mobile Device Security with this HC3 Checklist HIPAA Journal Why cybersecurity risks matter - and how to raise security World Economic Forum College Athlete Influencers Confront Security Concerns NBC4 Washington SLED investigating after late-night shooting at SC State, university adds security measures WIS News 10 Israel defense minister’s firing triggers security fears, reservist call-ups and greater protests Breaking Defense Under pressure, St. Louis' Railway Exchange boosts security to ... St. Louis Post-Dispatch Secretary Mayorkas, Administrator Criswell Visit Devastated Areas ... Homeland Security Commerce Department Outlines Proposed National Security ... US Department of Commerce Meandering Moose Breaches Security At Sinclair Oil Refinery Cowboy State Daily New for Devs in SQL Server 2022: Ledger for Blockchain-Backed ... Visual Studio Magazine Rising Rate of Drug Shortages Is Framed as a National Security Threat The New York Times Maryland native works to help others with food security News 13 Orlando Las Cruces Police Department advises against posting doorbell security footage online - KFOX El Paso Pasquotank officials discuss county courthouse repairs, security ... The Daily Advance Opinion: Sensible legislation would 'sentence' gun security violators ... Chattanooga Times Free Press Detroit Zoo beefs up security after unusual activity suspected at the ... WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle National Security ... Senator Mark Warner Ukraine-Russia updates: Kyiv seeks UN Security Council meeting Al Jazeera English Fact Sheet: Biden Administration's National Security Memorandum ... Homeland Security TSA issues new cybersecurity requirements for airport and aircraft ... Transportation Security Administration The Case for a Security Guarantee for Ukraine Foreign Affairs Magazine TikTok Pushed by U.S. to Resolve National Security Concerns The New York Times FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Budget Strengthens Border ... The White House FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces National ... The White House Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for ... Department of Defense After Denver school shooting, an outcry erupts over security The Associated Press President Biden Joins DHS To Recognize Twenty Years of Progress ... Homeland Security |
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