My favorite analogy for showing the inherent insecurity of e-mail goes something like this: Imagine sending someone a postcard written in pencil, which could be intercepted, read or edited by anyone along the way without you ever knowing about it. E-mail that's transmitted and, for the most part, stored as plain text -- it's not secure in any way, shape or form.
Security has become the issue in IT, and while securing e-mail traffic is only one of many such things you could do in the name of security, it's one that's often overlooked. If you're nervous about your mail's security and want to make sure that is read by its intended targets and absolutely no one else, you need to take steps to protect it with encryption.
Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter. Check it out for the latest advice and musings on the world of Windows network administrators -- and please share your thoughts as well! Copyright 2005TechTarget
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