ABSTRACT
This chapter explores common ways in which the email system can be used to target potential victims and how the attacks can be mitigated through security best practices. Email is one of the most common Internet applications and is widely used for both business and personal communications. Email is one of the earliest network applications and one of the first to gain widespread use on the Internet. The sending of an email is also very similar to putting a letter in a mailbox. To transfer an email from one Message Transfer Agent (MTA) to another, it is necessary for the sending MTA, using the recipient address, to obtain the Internet Protocol address of the MTA from which the receiving user will retrieve email. In many ways, the security needs of one’s primary email account should be considered equal to or even more important than one’s online banking or other highly valued accounts.
