[thelist] Outlook feature that can bite back

[Janek Bogucki]

On Thu, 2004-05-06 at 17:52, James Aylard wrote:
>     Some advantages: fixing URLs that have wrapped and broken, making notes
> within the email for future reference, updating automated sign-up emails
> that contain a username and password once the password is changed, etc.
> Whether any of these practices are considered acceptable or desirable,
> individuals may disagree.
>     The potential downside of such a feature is relatively obvious. But I
> would guess that the same result is probably possible, in some form or
> another, with virtually any mail client -- at a minimum by simply copying
> the text from an existing email into a new email and modifying it there, or
> by hacking its database file with a text editor, etc. Anyone who uses email
> for formal legal agreements, if that is even legally acceptable, is taking a
> huge risk regardless of the email client involved. Email is simply not a
> secure medium.
> 
> James Aylard

Emails can be signed with PGP or GPG which makes it very difficult to
change the content if you are not the owner of the private key used to
sign the original message. This would help detect edits to the message.

It also gives the recipient confidence in the authenticity of the
message author.

I don't know about Outlook but PGP signing is available from within
Evolution, along with PGP encryption.

-Janek