Off Topic Opinions or Answer

[Kevin Thomas]

Hi All,

I run my business from my home office. After my users subscribe to my
application (Access 97 Runtime) they must make payment by check, cash
or credit card. I run the credit card numbers through my Link Point
modem manually since all I have is their number and expiration date.

I request that my credit card users either call or fax their credit
card numbers instead of emailing the numbers. Very often I still have
people who email their number instead of faxing or calling.

I have always assumed email was not a secure enviroment.

Could a email be read by outside hackers (excluding my own office)
before I receive it?

Thanks,

Kevin

[Tony Toews]

on****@aol.com (Kevin Thomas) wrote:

Could a email be read by outside hackers (excluding my own office)
before I receive it?

Absolutely. By the folks who run your or the clients email hosting service or by
folks who sniff for traffic along the route.

But I'd be much more concerned about your email hosting service.

That said someone could have a tap on your fax phone line and be getting a copy of
your faxes. Minute chance of course but still possible.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[TC]

As the other respondent said, email IS NOT secure in any way. Of course,
your users could encrypt the CC number - and there are email packages that
try to do encryption automatically - but most users will not know how to do
this, and/or will not bother.

Also be aware that email is very easily forged. Getting an email from
Fr*******@blah.com is absolutely no guarantee, whatever, that the email
actualy came from that person. You may need to consider that, in your
process.

HTH,
TC
"Kevin Thomas" <on****@aol.com> wrote in message
news:47**************************@posting.google.c om...

Hi All,

I run my business from my home office. After my users subscribe to my
application (Access 97 Runtime) they must make payment by check, cash
or credit card. I run the credit card numbers through my Link Point
modem manually since all I have is their number and expiration date.

I request that my credit card users either call or fax their credit
card numbers instead of emailing the numbers. Very often I still have
people who email their number instead of faxing or calling.

I have always assumed email was not a secure enviroment.

Could a email be read by outside hackers (excluding my own office)
before I receive it?

Thanks,

Kevin