Your Email Up for Grabs?

[dajoga]

[ QUOTE ]
A federal appeals court recently made a ruling that allows just about anyone to read your email at any time, for any reason, without fear of lawsuit or prosecution. The case is a bit complex, so bear with me.

[/ QUOTE ]

source (http://netscape.fool.com/news/mft/2004/mft04070847.htm?logvisit=y&npu=y&source=eptnetlnk3 08100&bounce=y&bounce2=y)

[Rink]

Uhhh how are they gonna read MY email?

I thought emails were normally encrypted?

[DoctorDoom]

Nope, they're simply converted to plain text—even the graphics—to allow sending them over the Net, and they are unencrypted. If you want to see what they look like, and you're using Outlook Express (it may be the same for Outlook), right-click any email message and select Properties. Click on the Details tab and then on Message Source. This displays the message exactly as it was received. If you see a large block of garbage, that's an attachment converted to plain text.

The body of the message will be perfectly readable. There is no encryption. Ergo anyone who can intercept it will be able to read it.

There are programs available that will encrypt email, but this requires the ability of the recipient to decrypt it.

One good compromise is a nifty little program called AxCrypt (http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/). It won't encrypt the email itself, but it can encrypt any file, which can be sent as an attachment. The recipient uses the correct passcode in his own copy of the program to decrypt it.

E.g., if you want to send a file called SeekritStuff.txt, AxCrypt creates SeekritStuff.txt.axx.

[Rink]

kewl.

But then again wouldnt that particular program also work for virus makers?

as sending an exe attachement through the mail might not be recognized by most anti-virus mail filters as mine does that filters out any exe attachements??????

[DoctorDoom]

[ QUOTE ]
But then again wouldnt that particular program also work for virus makers?

[/ QUOTE ]
It could encrypt viruses, but unless the recipient has AxCrypt on the machine and the proper passcode, it can't do anything.

[Rink]

hmm, i do know one can surreptitiously rename an exe attachement to get them through email filters.

[DoctorDoom]

Yep, but encryption required decryption, and the intent of the suppliers of encryption software is to make a processed file unreadable without either the software and passcodes or monumental effort. And, any halfway-decent email filter can recognize an EXE file even if it's renamed by looking for certain characteristics in the code.

[Wolfcounsel]

I can send an e-mail that is unreadable by anyone except the intended receiver. EHH HEH HEH HEH HEH!

[DoctorDoom]

It is of course entirely possible using PGP or other encryption software.