sending sensative files through email

Hi Bob,I hope csnape 2003 doesn't mind me asking a further question regarding email privacy.Firstly, are all email servers the same, or is one better than the other?If there are privacy issues with sending copies of sensitive documents by email,then what do you think is the safest way? Not snail mail I hope.I thought emails were absolutely watertight.You have opened the eyes of a lot of email users,who like me didn't think there was even an issue regarding emails.Thanks.
Doug.

Your best bet would be to encrypt your sensitive emails before sending them from work/home or vice-versa. There are lots of programs out there, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) being one of the better ones. It will handle the task for you almost automatically once you get it set.

Appreciate your reply Bozz5384,will check out PGP,and thanks once again for the info.
Cheers
DOUG.

There seems to be an assumption that using strong encryption will secure the privacy of one@s emails. If you really want to protect it from the more or less casual snooper (by one's company for instance)
then a program such as Kremlin can provide a very high and almost unbreakable encryption such as "Blowfish". However, there is a downside to this in this age of terrorism and very intrusive governmental security monitorring of all forms of communication. Strongly encrypted email is an almost certain way to guarantee that you will come under close scrutiny and observation by the governmental security services.
Vic.M.

Hi vicmohi,
When you come to think about it,I guess it would make a government intelligence authority suspicious, when a sender goes to unusual precautions to safe guard their email.
Thanks for bringing up that point.

Doug.

Emails travel over public networks, and are like sending postcards. Anyone with access to the network can read your email.

Like postcards, it's UNLIKELY for anyone to read your email. But, if you have a snoop (for example a company that doesn't respect your privacy, or government in most countries), you need to encrypt your emails for sensitive information.

For safest encryption, choose a good quality "public-key" encryption system (such as PGP, mentioned in another post).

Paddy

Where is our privacy that we used to have.On ABC TV today, London has 4 Million cctv cameras.The future sure looks scary to me, Paddy.Looking into PGP.
Thanks
Doug.

An input here. I use Secure Mail. It provides the same as PGP, but integrates into outlook conveniently. Its a subscription service and I use the one provided by Verizon. (I'm not a Verizon customer or promoter) in any other way. It basically makes the encryption process simple and also ensures that the recipient is the only one who can read the email. Apparently lawyers use it and there are other providers than Verizon.

Even if you use codes and then tell the person on the other side the code. It can still be broken. Yes with a little bit of work but it is a simple program to make ( a program that just trys every code until one works). Do not use e-mail to transfer sensitive content, telephones are a little better but not by much.
P.S
best way: talk directly to the person

Depending on who the "snoop" is, phone calls can be just as insecure as snail mail or email. In today's world, privacy is a luxury, not a right.

Private key encryption, where you and the other person need to share the same password, is only as secure as the weakest link in the chain. Most private key encryptions don't use strong encryption methods anyway.

Public key encryption, on the other hand, has stood the tests of both time and government. It has the advantage that it doesn't need two parties to agree on a password.

The use of high-end public key encryption is so strong that not even governments can crack it (which is why government doesn't want you to use it).

If government doesn't worry you, then you can use Verizon or one of the several equivalents. Otherwise, you must use a private program.

PGP was mentioned. There are other open-source and free programs available, too. Look around download.com and sourceforge.net, among others.

By the way, PGP provides (at a cost) a method of encrypting phone calls via VOIP over the computer, so that you can chat securely to another person on the other side of the world. I know there are other companies offering similar facilities.

Paddy

In fact, all email can be read and tracked, especially by most corporations. I know of people who have lost their jobs, careers for violating the "Email policy". It can be violated, for various reasons, from stealing company secrets to discussing union organizing to setting an appointment to meet the CEO's wife for an afternoon delight tryst.. you get the point.

This has been a real eye opener for a lot of people,not only myself.When the next time arises,it's a toss up between Secure Mail by Verizon and PGP IMHO.
Thanks to all who posted and shared their knowledge and expertise on this subject.Much appreciated.
Doug.

Any offering by such companies must by law have a back door for the governments to reach in and read or observe the content.

The author of PGP was dragged into court many times but they never did figure out what to charge him with so that was mostly just scare tactics.

If it is to be truly airtight then PGP gets my nod.

ZIP is next inline since they have to run it through a cracker such as http://www.lostpassword.com but if they sell it for 200 bucks the lock must be very lightwieght.

Please read articles such as http://www.gamers.org/~tony/pgp-legal.html

Here's why. It handily explains the WIFI encryption mess. And hints at why with KISMET, KISMAC your average hacker can listen in on WIFI networks.

Bob

You're singing to the choir here.

What is it I said indicating general e-mail is secure or are you adding concurring comment ?

VAPCMD