Most home users use either a POP3 (Post Office Protocol) e-mail account or Webbased e-mail such as Hotmail or Yahoo. With some ISPs you have the option of doing either. Each type of e-mail has its advantages and security concerns.
One of the biggest issues with Web-based e-mail is that it bypasses many security measures designed for e-mail. Corporate networks often have antivirus scanners at the e-mail server level designed to catch and block any malicious e-mail before it can get to the end user.There are also typically filters that block file attachments that may contain malicious code as well. When e-mail comes through the Web rather than through the pre-defined channels for e-mail, these security measures are useless.
Accessing personal e-mail at all, or at least accessing personal e-mail via the Web on your employer’s network is an activity that should be governed by some sort of policy or procedure.You should check to make sure you aren’t violating any rules by doing so.
On a positive note, the larger providers of Web-based e-mail; namely,Yahoo and Hotmail, now provide virus protection on their e-mail. It does not replace the need to run antivirus software on your own computer since e-mail is only one means of spreading malware, but it at least significantly reduces the risk of receiving an infected file attachment through Web-based e-mail.
POP3 e-mail is the other standard primarily used by home Internet users. Programs like Outlook Express, Eudora, and Netscape Mail are typically used to download and view e-mail from a POP3 account. When you set up the client software you have to supply information such as your username and password and the incoming and outgoing mail servers so the software can authenticate your account and send and receive e-mail. Rather than simply viewing your e-mail on a Web page, the actual messages are transferred from the e-mail server to your computer.
Whether you use Web-based or POP3 e-mail, there are security concerns you should be aware of. Sending an unencrypted e-mail is the digital equivalent of writing your thoughts on a postcard.Would you write your bank account number, social security number or other personal and confidential information on a postcard to be seen by all as it passes from you to its intended destination? If you wouldn’t share the information in public you shouldn’t send it in an e-mail. E-mail is not inherently secure. It is convenient and quick, but not secure.
