Email security question

Pydpiper

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
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Brantford/Woodstock
I need to know if an attachment is relativly confidential while being sent from one computers email to anothers?
Are the contents, in this case photos, safe from prying eyes?
Thanks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

drizzle

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 23, 2003
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840
Location
Seattle, WA
No they aren't.

It's probably not very likely that someone would intercept them and look at them but it's a definite possibility.

There are good encryption programs around, many of them free, that will scramble the files so no one else can read (or view) them. Then you just need to tell the recipient what the password is to unscramble them. Probably not a good idea to send it in an email. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

nrk

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 28, 2004
Messages
100
Location
Shirley, MA
To my knowledge it may NOT be a felony if you use a company email address. There are a number of precedents that indicate that a company owns all of the email sent using its servers and email domain.

As a general rule of thumb it is NEVER a good idea to send private email using a company email address. I know of many cases where emails are scanned by company administrators.

;-nrk
 

PhotonWrangler

Flashaholic
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Oct 19, 2003
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In a handbasket
Good point. Yes, it's common for email to be scanned by companies for abuse these days. It's usually stated in their HR policies and sometimes the employees have to sign a waiver indicating that they've been informed of this.

It's the secretive third-party "hacking" style of snooping that's a felony.
 

Pydpiper

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Jan 4, 2005
Messages
1,778
Location
Brantford/Woodstock
This weekend my sisters family as well as mine went camping, a couple of the photos (of 90) were of my 3 year old on the beach in all his glory, I just wanted to make sure they stayed with us.
 

gadget_lover

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
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Near Silicon Valley (too near)
Actually, the ISP that transports your e-mail, any arm of the government, any law enforcement agency and any company representative on either end can look at your mail with impunity.

There are state laws that will govern whether your business has the right to inpect your e-mail.

In many cases e-mail will go through three or more companies on their way to the destination. Once it hits a third party your rights to privacy are null.

If you want to keep it private, encrypt. Be aware, however, that some companies have a policy against allowing encryption programs to be used on company computers. The rational is that you might lock files that belong to the company and not release them when you leave the company. There are ways around that.

Daniel
 
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