Re: Last word... for tonight!

[P3D Peter Davis <pfd@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> It is past 1:00 am, have just wasted 2 good hours and I am getting
> ready to go to bed and switch this account to Digest.  But before I go,
> I want to say that what concerns me more than what happened, is the
> fact that it can happen.  And the fact that it is OK with the list too.
> (meaning, despite the various filters available for blocking off certain 
> messages and individuals and the fact that I cannot send email to the 
> list using a different computer network but still same ID, but I can
> send email from the same computer network with a different ID!)

Certain mail reader programs, such as Eudora, allow you to set the
"return to" address on your messages.  I suppose that by doing so, you
can effectively impersonate anyone.  Not being an e-mail guru, I don't
know if there are other fields in the mail header which can not be so
easily tampered with.  I know a full mail header contains routing
information which indicates how the message was passed, and this could
be checked against the return address for possible forgeries.

> This was a harmless joke but I now will have to question every
> message that I get.  I can see some non-harmless extensions like getting
> a message from XXX (reliable source) saying that they have a bunch of 
> Realist red button viewers to sell and just need my credit card. Up to
> now I had no concern emailing credit card numbers.

Never EVER send a credit card number via e-mail.  NEVER!  E-mail is
completely unsecure, and there are thousands of ways to intercept
e-mail messages.  If you must arrange a transaction through e-mail,
use the telephone for the credit card part.

-pd


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