When email was first introduced, people
were reminded that the medium wasn't considered secure. In computer classes
held all around the world, students were told that they should never say
anything in an email message that they wouldn't feel comfortable sharing on a
community bulletin board. It's good advice, and according to Ryan Russo, Denver
scientist, it's advice that many people seem to have forgotten, as public
comfort with email technology has continued to grow.
Email servers are remarkably easy to hack,
Ryan Russo says, as the messages themselves often bounce about in the digital
atmosphere before they reach their intended recipient. A message might
originate in Boston and travel all the way to India before it finally reaches
its reader in New York. This travel might only take a few minutes to complete,
but all along the journey, hackers could be provided with the perfect
opportunity to intercept that message and copy it.
An email message is also not secure, Ryan
Russo, Denver scientist says, because that message can easily be passed along
by the person it's been sent to. With one click of the mouse, that message
could be sent to a friend, who could send it to a friend, who could send it to
a friend. All of a sudden, a private message intended for the eyes of only one
person becomes a public message that's sent to hundreds or even millions.
Pulling that message back into the realm of the private might be impossible,
simply because the author may have no idea how many other people have access to
the original note.
When it comes to online privacy, Ryan Russo, Denver scientist claims
that no perfect solution exists. Anything that can be produced online might
also be reproduced online, and even deleted files can resurface, due to the
work of sophisticated computer programmers. Russo suggests that people who need
to discuss sensitive information do so via telephone or via in-person meetings.
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