Can email be intercepted and read during that period after you send it and before the receiver gets it?

Question

A friend of mine is urging me to get a code certificate so that my emails will be encrypted. We exchange our fiction writing and she is afraid someone will steel our ideas. I already have a hacker-proof SSL box. Do I need encryption too?

Answer 1

"Too much security" is a oxymoron.

Use the maximum you can without crippling your systems.

As far as email reading not only can it be but it almost certainly is, but I doubt they care about your novel (unless you are writing about the sort of things that interest these people).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON

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Answer 2

emails have always been read and will always be read. Have you ever taken time to read the so-called Private Policies of the mail service providers. It gives them opportunity to go through your mails to make it comply with some laws and regulations. The catch here is that, if they can read, then some sick fella or hacker somewhere can pry through it and transmit it to other persons. Forget encyption. They are trying to make you feel safe. The truth is that we have long ago sacrifice our privacy on the altar of globalization and technology development.

Answer 3

yes, you can get PGP

pretty good privacy, the US edition for free.
that way if someone is using a packet sniffer and picking up your network traffic. then your material is encrypted and they cannot read it.

PGP is one of the most secure encryption technologies available to the general public in America

Answer 4

It is a good idea. No security is perfect and yes, there are ways to intercept emails. However, that doesn't happen very often. It isn't a good idea to store bank or credit information via emails.

Answer 5

It definitely wouldn't hurt to have encryption too.

Answer 6

Yes, emails can be read.