Ch.13.4 Helpdesk: Keeping E-mail Secure_sc

Pretty Good Privacy PGP).

A method of encrypting and decrypting e-mail messages. It can also be used to encrypt a digital signature. https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/Pretty-Good-Privacy

SSL

An abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer; it is a protocol that provides security when communicating on the Internet

What's an e-mail server?

An e-mail server is a specialized computer that stores, processes, and sends e-mails.

Public-Key Encryption In public-key encryption, two keys, known as a key pair, are created. You use one key for coding and the other for decoding. The key for coding is distributed as a public key.

Anyone wishing to send you a message codes it using your public key. When you receive the message, you use your private key to decode it. You are the only one who possesses the private key so it is very secure.

SMTP: A Client/Server Approach Simple Mail Transfer Protocol SMTP) is the protocol responsible for sending e-mails over the Internet.

As in most other Internet applications, e-mail is a client/server application. On its way to its destination, your mail will pass through e-mail servers—specialized computers whose sole function is to store, process, and send e-mail.

Encryption

Encryption refers to the process of coding your e-mail so that only the person with the key to the code (the intended recipient) can decode (or decipher) and read the message.

SMTP protocol require that security measures be applied to all e-mail messages

However, there are a number of ways users can send e-mail messages more securely.

Secure Data Transmission Software 2

In addition, immediate reading of sensitive documents is often essential, but encryption software doesn't provide a means for confirming your messages have been delivered.

Encryption 2 There are two basic types of encryption: private-key and public-key:

In private-key encryption, only the two parties involved in sending the message have the code. The problem with private-key encryption is that if someone steals a copy of the code, the code is broken.

IPv4 address

Internet Protocol version 4 IPv4) address is a unique 32-bit number represented in dotted decimal notation that identifies individual nodes on a network.

Instant Messaging

Like e-mail, instant messaging IM) is a client/server application.

Will SMTP keep my e-mails safe?

No, SMTP cannot keep your e-mails safe, but there are other security measures like encryption that can keep your e-mails safe.

Do instant messaging (IM) services use secure data transmission software to provide security of data exchanged?

No, most instant messaging services don't use secure data transmission software. Hence it is not safe to exchange important data over IM.

Because it's sent through the Internet as plain text, e-mail can be read by unintended parties.

One way to protect e-mail messages is to encrypt them.

SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

SMTP sends e-mail between e-mail software and e-mail servers on the Internet.

What is SMTP?

Simple mail transfer protocol SMTP) is the protocol responsible for sending e-mail messages from an e-mail client to an e-mail server.

Encrypting your e-mail is not enough to protect them, as copies of your e-mails may exist on several servers over the Internet.

Special e-mail protection software called secure data transmission software solves these and other security-related e-mail problems.

When I attach a file to my e-mail, will SMTP send it to the e-mail server?

The multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME) protocol is responsible for sending e-mail file attachments.

Public Key Encryption

Used prevalently on the web, it allows for secure messages to be sent between parties without having to agree on, or share, a secret key. It uses an asymmetric encryption scheme in which the encryption key is made public, but the decryption key is kept private.

Secure Data Transmission Software

Using encryption doesn't always solve the other problems associated with e-mail. Messages leave a trail as they travel through the Internet, and copies of messages can exist on servers for long periods of time.

How do I perform encryption?

You can encrypt messages using private-key encryption. In private-key encryption, only the two parties involved in sending and receiving the message have the code.

Is there any other safer way to encrypt e-mails?

You can use public-key encryption. In public-key encryption, two keys are created, one key for encoding and the other for decoding.

SMTP protocol does deliver e-mail,

but it is the multipurpose Internet mail extensions MIME) protocol that is responsible for encoding and decoding e-mail file attachments for users.

How E-Mail Travels the Internet

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Decoding

interpretation of the language and symbols sent by the source through a channel

Public-key encryption Both keys are necessary to decode a message; if one key is lost, the other key cannot be used by itself.

is the most commonly used encryption on the Internet. One popular package is Pretty Good Privacy PGP).

Most IM services do not use encryption for IM messages, and the secure data transmission software used on e-mail does not work with IM programs.

it's not a good idea to send sensitive information via IM.

MIME

multipurpose internet mail extension. protocol is responsible for encoding and decoding e-mail file attachments.

Encoding

the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.

public key encryption PKE)

uses two keys: a public key that everyone can have and a private key for only the recipient