Email - 19/09/2012

Email (Electronic mail)

Email was invented in the early 70's. Ever since then, the use of it has been growing, especially when the internet developed. The way that email works is actually quite simple. The mail sent to an individual, online post box on the mail server like Google mail or Hotmail. The mail client then picks it up. A mail client is a program like Outlook Express which is used to receive and look through your email. There are also browser-based clients, which are provided by websites like Yahoo. For both clients you need internet access. With the recent development of technology, email can now also be used on mobile phones as long as you're connected to internet.

The email system has been very popular among people because of it's practicality and multiple uses.
Your email allows you to:

• See all your messages that have been sent to you. It shows you who sent it and the exact time and date that it was sent
• View every message seperately
• Write up your own messages and send them to any other email address
• Send attachments together with your emails and save attachments that have sent to you

The message is usually written in a seperate window within the mail client. It can be edited in any way. Text can also be copied and pasted from another application into that editing frame. Generally messages are text based however now it can also be HTML based.
Messages are sent SMTP server and are received using a POP3 or an IMAP.

Email risks

However email does have some disadvantages. It's very easy to use and access and therefore they be easily hacked or infected with viruses, worms or trojans.
 
Spoofing and Spamming - a spoofing attack is a situation in which one person or program successfully covers up as another and sends messages containing potentially dangerous data. The receiver is mislead by the fake address and can easily mistake it for a different person. A spamming attack. Spam is the use of email to send unsolicited bulk messages, especially advertising, indiscriminately.

Virus - virus is a computer program that attaches itself to other programs or files. It can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another.

Worm - worms are a specific type of virus that are very dangerous because once opened they are capable of replicating in greater volumes and can dig deep into the systems allowing its creator to take control of that computer systems remotely.

Trojan - a trojan is another form of virus in the form of a code. It is usually spread using emails. They're hidden in the attachment of an attractively looking message. Once it's installed on the systems it carries on spreading, attaching itself to other programs and files and can do damage by taking control of it.