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Private? No. E-mail is a store-and-forward process...
Since e-mail transmission is a "store and forward" process your message may pass through several intermediary devices, the exact count depending on the network path, any of which may have kept a copy of it. Therefore, there is no "secure" e-mail system : your message content is, and always has been, open for inspection. At least Google is being honest about scanning it for advertising keywords ... if you think that MSN and Yahoo don't do so already then you are being naive.

The only method by which you may garner a tiny slice of privacy would be to encrypt your message on the client side before transmitting it to the first server, and have the recipient decrypt it on his client. Here again, be warned that with enough processing power even high level encryption may be broken and the content of your message retrieved and read by criminals.

Of course, it all depends on how sensitive your message is. I don't particularly care if some hacker somewhere knows that I love my Grandma and wish her a happy birthday, however - I sure don't want him to get access to my bank account ID numbers and passwords. As always, use your common sense. Care and caution are your best friends.

Regards,
Jon
Posted by: JonathonDoe   Posted on: 04/13/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Google's Gmail: The cost of free e-mail  Loverock Davidson | 04/12/04
One Solution fro content: Javascript based encryption  David Mohring | 04/12/04
wouldn't client based encryption be better  V Sanders | 04/13/04
Read the post: It would be client based encryption  David Mohring | 04/13/04
But what if...  Fred Fredrickson | 04/13/04
Someone is a bit clueless...  DarbyOhara | 04/12/04
Can you cite some instances please?  el1jones | 04/12/04
What was that search?  agramont@... | 04/12/04
Funny, I said the same thing on April 1st.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 04/12/04
So make privacy lemonade already  Nigel Johnstone | 04/12/04
Web or POP, what is the difference?  The-Bytemaster | 04/12/04
Don't forget all the servers it passed to get to you  voska | 04/12/04
do you really think  V Sanders | 04/13/04
Private? No. E-mail is a store-and-forward process...  JonathonDoe | 04/13/04
Its All about Trust  bstrain | 04/13/04
Not right :- here is why ......  Tomal | 04/13/04
What's wrong with Outlook Express?  david_kelsey@... | 04/16/04
RE: What's wrong with Outlook Express?  pistache | 05/16/04

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