Email Encryption: What Are You Waiting For? - The Basics
(Page 2 of 4 )
Before I get into email encryption, I want to discuss those who will be affected by it, namely the end users. Simply put, the end user is the person who "uses" the product, not necessarily the person who buys that product (e.g. a farmer might buy oats for the horse, but the horse is going to eat them, thus the horse is the end user). The same basic definition is used in terms of computer science. The end user in this case is the person(s) who operates the particular software. Obviously, the software designers want to take into account the degree of knowledge that the end user will have, and with email encryption -- something that a variety of people are going to want -- their focus should be geared toward all ranges of expertise, from the expert to the novice.
Encryption itself is the process of turning plaintext, or whatever the information might be, into something unreadable to all those without certain knowledge, or a key. Encryption is just one aspect of cryptography that specifically refers to the reverse deciphering of information, whereas decryption is the opposite in that it will make the information readable again. Usually, encryption software can do both. Encryption was inherently used for military and secret government intelligence purposes, specifically to expedite top secret information. But with the advent of telecommunications, civilians have increasingly taken advantage, whether they know it or not, of the protective services encryption provides. I mean just about everyone has a cell phone and practically everyone uses ATMs.
Even more so than all the anti-virus software, firewalls, and super-complicated passwords, encrypting email could be the most logical way to protect sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. I mean, even snail mail has special methods customers can use to protect their letters and packages. So it's only obvious that a person dedicated to sending information online would want the same types of protection.
With encryption, only the most steadfastly dedicated hacker will have a shot at seeing your information, and even then it's doubtful. That's also assuming that your information is worth hacking into anyway. The remainder of this article will delve deeper into the wondrous possibilities encryption has to offer.
Next: You Want More? >>
More Web Hosting Articles Articles
More By Michael Lowry
