-   Email Security

Spam Protection

There are many methods spammers use to add email addresses to their list. One of the ways they do this is through web beacons. A web beacon can be likened to a light house. A lighthouse beams a message with light; web beacons are seen through pictures in an email. Spammers use these pictures to secretly send a message back to them including your email address. Before you download any pictures from an email, make sure you've read the accompanying message. If you suspect it is spam, do not download it.

Another way spammers could have access to your email is by eavesdropping when you are in a chat room or on a public web page. Create an email that is tough to crack. Use 0's instead of o's or use numbers along with your name. Only share your email address with people that you know.

Encryption

Symmetric key encryption is best described as you and a friend both having the same secret key. You encrypt a message into cyphertext which takes that message and puts it into a meaningless, random sequence. The message is impossible to decipher by anyone else except your friend who holds the secret key. With the key, your friend can decrypt the cyphertext into your original message. You might want to use encryption when the content is highly classified or personal. Using encryption make it so hackers can't eavesdrop or modify your messages.