You cannot trust e-mail with such information. As your message moves from one server to another, several people have the opportunity to read it. So what should you do? You have a few options.

Public/private key encryption: Outlook 2007 and other apps support this approach. The public key can encrypt but not decrypt so you can share it. You keep the private key, which decrypts. Both sender and recipient must set up this type of encryption, and it isn’t easy for the less technically adept. It’s a good choice in a business environment where everyone has the help of an IT department.

Password-protected .zip files: Depending on what software you use to create .zip archives, you may have an option to password protect them. Don’t go this route, however, if the app doesn’t support high-quality AES encryption; the .zip format’s standard password protection is easy to hack. Many .zip programs do support AES encryption, including WinZip (fi nd.pcworld.com/64000) and the free, open-source 7-Zip (find.pcworld.com/61828). Unfortunately, Windows’ built-in .zip tool doesn’t support AES, so you can’t assume that your recipient will be able to open your encrypted archive.

Secure message and file-sending services: Instead of e-mailing the data, put it on a secure Website for the recipient to download. I recommend Send (www.sendinc.com). It’s free, and you don’t even have to share any passwords. When you post something on Send, the site e-mails a notice to the recipient, who will need their own free Send account to access your information.

Source of Information : PC World July 2010

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