How do you feel about email security?

[archcommus]

For those of you who use email services such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Live mail, how do you feel about the security of your messages and attachments? Do you think every letter and file is being watched by somebody? Do you think the big companies would protect your rights if the government ever intervened? How does this affect how you use your email? Do you avoid keeping sensitive messages? Do you avoid keeping emails and attachments that contain your CC or SS numbers? How about reliablity? Do you believe it will be there forever? Do you feel a need to keep your own personal backup and not to rely on the mail server?

Just some general questions, feel free to answer any subset of them.

 

[hjo3]

I use Gmail and I never send a message containing something as sensitive as a CC number or SSN. But I do think the security is excellent. If Google was served a warrant that required they turn over my emails, I would fully expect them to. For anything less than a warrant, I would expect them to uphold my privacy. The reliability is excellent so far -- I've only experienced significant downtime (>1 minute) once, and it was fixed in under an hour. I fully expect Gmail to be around 10 years from now, but I wouldn't be extremely surprised if they began charging fees at some point (and I'd pay them as long as it was under, say, $40/year). I keep everything except the largest file attachments (>15 MB).

Is this for a school project, or are you just curious?

 

[Captante]

I always treat anything I send via e-mail just like information set through snail-mail on a post card, although g-mail may be a bit better then most, I don't exactly consider to be secure, although now that I've gotten used to it I'll never go back to a local e-mail client if I have a choice.

 

[George P Burdell]

SSN, CC over email is something I never do, even if it's encrypted email. And big brother is more than welcome to read the 20 gazillion cheap-viagra/hot-stock-tip/nigerian-dictator emails I get everyday.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: hjo3
I use Gmail and I never send a message containing something as sensitive as a CC number or SSN. But I do think the security is excellent. If Google was served a warrant that required they turn over my emails, I would fully expect them to. For anything less than a warrant, I would expect them to uphold my privacy. The reliability is excellent so far -- I've only experienced significant downtime (>1 minute) once, and it was fixed in under an hour. I fully expect Gmail to be around 10 years from now, but I wouldn't be extremely surprised if they began charging fees at some point (and I'd pay them as long as it was under, say, $40/year). I keep everything except the largest file attachments (>15 MB).

Is this for a school project, or are you just curious?

Just curious, some things I was thinking about.

 

[archcommus]

Bump for the afternoon.

 

[rudder]

They are free services. You get what you pay for... no security and a chance you will lose all your emails.

That being said... if some google employee ever rummaged through my emails... they would be asleep within 10 minutes. So I don't care if someone happened across my emails.

 

[archcommus]

Hmm let's try to get some more input here.

 

[erub]

I don't really worry about it. I'll send my CC in an email from gmail it can't be that much more dangerous then speaking it out loud in a public place on a cell phone. If somebody steals my CC, big deal, I'll call up Citi and they'll send me a new one and take off the charges..this is why I don't use a debit card.

SSN is a different story though