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email

By Kinza Yasar

What is email (electronic mail)?

Email (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages from one user to one or more recipients via the internet. Emails are a fast, inexpensive and accessible way to communicate for business or personal use. Users can send emails from anywhere as long as they have an internet connection, which is typically provided by an internet service provider.

Email is exchanged across computer networks, primarily the internet, but it can also be exchanged between both public and private networks, such as a local area network. Email can be distributed to lists of people as well as to individuals. A shared distribution list can be managed using an email reflector. Some mailing lists enable users to subscribe by sending a request to the mailing list administrator. A mailing list that's administered automatically is called a list server.

The TCP/IP suite of protocols provides a flexible email system that's built on basic protocols, including Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) for sending mail, and Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) for receiving mail. Alternatively, the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) can be used for receiving mail, as it enables access to email from any device, anywhere. With POP3, the email message is downloaded from the email service and stored on the requesting device and can only be accessed using the same device.

Email messages are usually encoded in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. However, users can also send non-text files -- such as graphic images and sound files -- as file attachments. Email was one of the first activities performed over the internet and is still the most popular use. A large percentage of the total traffic over the internet is email.

Differences between email and webmail

Today, the term email is often used to include both browser-based electronic mail, such as Gmail and AOL Mail, and non-browser-based electronic mail accessed through an email client such as Microsoft Outlook for Office 365. However, in the past, email was defined as a non-browser program that required a dedicated email server with the client software installed on the computer.

The advantages of using non-browser email include easier integration with business software platforms, enhanced security and lack of advertisements. However, in order for the email to be accessed, it requires an email client be installed directly onto the computer. Although many email clients are free, others are available for a minimal charge.

The biggest advantage of webmail is that it's free to use, can be accessed from anywhere and is hosted in the cloud, which automatically synchronizes the email to all devices, including desktop computers, tablets or smartphones.

The main components of an email message

A mail message transfer agent is software that transfers emails between the computers of a sender and a recipient. No two email addresses can be identical, as each complete address must be unique.

Typically, an email message consists of two main components: header and body.

Header

Each email message comes with a header that's structured into various fields. These fields contain important information regarding the sender and the recipient(s). However, the content of the email header varies, depending on the email system being used.

Typically, an email header contains the following information:

Body

This is the content of the email. It may contain anything the user wishes to send, including text, videos or file attachments. Depending on the email client used, the email body can be formatted in either plain text or HTML. While plain text messages can't contain special formatting or multimedia elements, HTML emails enable special formatting and inclusion of multimedia options within the body of the message. The message body may also include signatures or automatically generated text that the sender's email system inserts.

Uses of email

The following are the most common use cases for email:

Types of B2B emails

Business-to-business (B2B) email marketing is used by businesses that are trying to facilitate the exchange of information, products or services between their organization and others. It differs from business-to-consumer (B2C) email marketing because it focuses on relaying the logic and reasoning behind a specific purchase decision in relation to a business's specific needs, rather than appealing to the emotions of consumers to convince them to buy a product. Some different types of B2B emails include the following:

Advantages of email

Email is a fast, reliable and portable way of communicating with others. The following are some common benefits of using email for both personal and professional purposes:

Examples of email attacks

Email is the most common vector for cyber attacks. Methods include spamming, phishing, spoofing, spear-phishing, business email compromise and ransomware. According to a list of cybersecurity threats compiled by TechJury, about 91% of cyber attacks launch with a phishing email.

The following are some common methods of using email to conduct cyber attacks:

Email security

Email is designed to be an open and accessible platform that enables users to communicate with each other and with people or groups within an organization. As a result, it isn't inherently secure, and email security is vital. Email security describes the various techniques that individuals, organizations and service providers can use to protect sensitive information kept in email communications and accounts from unauthorized access, loss or destruction.

Organizations should implement the following best practices to ensure proper email security:

Password rotations. Individuals can proactively protect their accounts by creating strong passwords and changing them frequently.

Spam filters. Users should also create spam filters and folders to separate potentially malicious emails and junk mail, as well as install and run antivirus and antimalware software on their computers. Service providers should install firewalls and spam-filtering software apps to protect users from unrecognized, malicious or untrustworthy messages.

Secure email gateway. Organizations can protect themselves from threats by setting up an email security gateway. Email gateways process and scan all received emails to prevent attacks from reaching their intended recipients. A multilayered gateway is the best approach, since attacks are becoming increasingly more complicated and sophisticated. Training employees on how to properly use email and how to distinguish malicious messages can also help users avoid threatening mail that the gateway doesn't catch.

Automated email encryption. Automated email encryption software can be used to scan all outgoing messages for potentially sensitive information. If the material is considered sensitive, then the content should be automatically encrypted before it's sent to the intended recipient. This process prevents attackers from gaining access to this information, even if they intercept it. Only recipients with permission to view the email can see the decrypted content.

Access control standards. Email service providers can also improve email security by establishing strong password and access control standards and mechanisms.

Digital signatures and encryption. In addition to organizations using automated encryption software, providers should also use encryption and digital signatures to protect emails in transit and in users' inboxes.

Popular email sites

Some examples of popular, free email websites include the following:

Origin of email

Scientists at MIT developed a program called Mailbox that enabled the exchange of messages between time-sharing computers within one lab. In 1971, Raymond Samuel Tomlinson, a developer at Bolt, Beranek and Newman -- now Raytheon BBN Technologies -- executed the first email program on the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the precursor to the internet. Tomlinson designed a messaging program for use on the PDP-10 computer consisting of two individual programs, SNDMSG for sending mail and READMAIL for retrieving mail.

Email is the most common point of entry for cybercriminals into a network. Learn about the top 3 email security threats and how to defend against them.

20 Oct 2022

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