INTERNET TECHNOLOGY UNIT-IV

UNIT:4 -Email: E-Mail Basics- E-Mail System-E-Mail Protocol-E-Mail Addresses-

Structure of an E-Mail Message-E-Mail Clients Servers -Mailing List- E-Mail Security.

E-mail

4.1 E-mail

Email is a service which allows us to send the message in electronic mode over the internet. It offers an
efficient, inexpensive and real time mean of distributing information among people.
E-Mail Address
Each user of email is assigned a unique name for his email account. This name is known as E-mail address.
Different users can send and receive messages according to the e-mail address.
E-mail is generally of the form username@domainname. For example, [email protected] is
an e-mail address where webmaster is username and tutorialspoint.com is domain name.
 The username and the domain name are separated by @ (at) symbol.
 E-mail addresses are not case sensitive.
 Spaces are not allowed in e-mail address.

4.2 E-Mail System

Electronic mail system means a computer application used to create, receive, and transmit messages and other
documents.

E-mail system comprises of the following three components:

 Mailer
 Mail Server
 Mailbox
1. Mailer
It is also called mail program, mail application or mail client. It allows us to manage, read and
compose e-mail.
2. Mail Server
The function of mail server is to receive, store and deliver the email. It is must for mail servers to
be Running all the time because if it crashes or is down, email can be lost.
3. Mailboxes
Mailbox is generally a folder that contains emails and information about them.

4.2.1 Working of E-mail

Email working follows the client server approach. In this client is the mailer i.e. the mail application or
mail program and server is a device that manages emails.

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Following example will take you through the basic steps involved in sending and receiving emails and will
give you a better understanding of working of email system:
 Suppose person A wants to send an email message to person B.
 Person A composes the messages using a mailer program i.e. mail client and then select
Send option.
 The message is routed to Simple Mail Transfer Protocol to person B’s mail server.
 The mail server stores the email message on disk in an area designated for person B.
The disk space area on mail server is called mail spool.

 Now, suppose person B is running a POP client and knows how to communicate with B’s
mail server.
 It will periodically poll the POP server to check if any new email has arrived for B.As in this
case, person B has sent an email for person B, so email is forwarded over the network to B’s
PC. This is message is now stored on person B’s PC.
The following diagram gives pictorial representation of the steps discussed above:

4.3 Email protocol

Email protocol is a set of rules defined to ensure that emails can be exchanged between various servers and
email clients in a standard manner. This ensures that the email is universal and works for all users.

Example:

A sender using an Apple email client with a Gmail server can send an email to another user using a Zoho mail
server on an Outlook email client. This is possible because the servers and the email clients follow the rules and
standards defined by the email protocols. 

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What are the different email protocols? 

The common protocols for email delivery are

 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

 Post Office Protocol (POP),

 Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP),
 Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME)

Email protocols
1. SMTP: This stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. This is a standard protocol for sending emails
over the Internet. This is a protocol which is used by a Mail Transfer Agent to deliver emails to a
recipient’s email server. This is a protocol which defines mail sending and cannot be used for mail
receiving.

SMTP is the most commonly used protocol for mail transfer between two servers. This requires no
authentication to function, unlike POP3 and IMAP. Certain Internet Service Providers block the default
port 25 of SMTP. In such cases, the mail server also provides an alternate secondary port.

The default port for SMTP are:

 Port 25 – This is the default non-encrypted port.
 Port 465/ 587 – This is default port for secure connections.

2. POP3: POP3 stands for Post Office 3 protocol. POP simply reaches out to the mail server and brings
back the mail contents. This is a simple yet standardized way which allows users to access mailboxes
and quickly download messages to their device.

With POP3, users can configure the server settings. This can be used to allow mail copies to be left on
the server or move all emails without leaving any copy on the server. This is

usually configurable in most cases. The biggest advantage of POP3 is the low dependency over the
Internet. Users can download all emails and read them at leisure even if they are accessing this offline.

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The way these emails are stored in local depends on the email client. For instance, Outlook utilizes .pst,
while Thunderbird uses .mbox. This is a good option in case you choose to read emails offline. Apart
from this, this helps you reduce the server space by storing messages locally.

The default ports for POP3 are:

 Port 110 – This is the default non-encrypted port.

 Port 995 – This is the default port for secure connections.

3. IMAP: This stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. This again is a standard protocol for
accessing emails and is a client/server protocol. Here the emails are received and held by the Internet
server. Unlike POP, this does not move the emails. The biggest difference between POP3 and IMAP is
the mail sync up. POP3 assumes that a user will be connected to a single device. However, IMAP is
suitable for different devices simultaneously.

IMAP requires users to be constantly connected to the Internet. When a user accesses the mailbox, the
user is actually connected to an external server. This is more beneficial when there are multiple users.
IMAP can work over a relatively low internet connection since it only downloads email messages from
the server when a user has requested to read a specific email.

The default ports for IMAP are:

 Port 143 – This is the default non-encrypted port.

 Port 993 – This is default port for secure connections.

4. MIME: The MIME stands for Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions. As the name indicates, it is
an extension to the Internet email protocol that allows it’s users to exchange different kinds of data files
over the Internet such as images, audio, and video. The MIME is required if text in character sets other
than ASCII.

Virtually all human-written Internet email and a fairly large proportion of automated email is transmitted
via SMTP in MIME format. Actually, MIME was designed mainly for SMTP, but the content types

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defined by MIME standards are important also in communication protocols outside of email, such as
HTTP. In 1991, Nathan Borenstein of Bellcore proposed to the IETF that SMTP be extended so that
Internet (but mainly Web) clients and servers could recognize and handle other kinds of data than ASCII
text. As a result, new file types were added to “mail” as a supported Internet Protocol file type.

4.4 Email address

 An E-mail address is same as postal address.

 E-mail address identifies an “E-mail box” to which E-mail messages are to be delivered.
 An e-mail address is composed of several elements, for example "[email protected]".
 The first part of all E-mail is user group or department of a company or organization, the
"@" is divider of E-mail address and to the right is the domain name of the user belong to
i.e. "example.com".

FIG 6.6: E-mail address

Domain name

 A domain name is a unique name that identifies a website and it serves as an address,
which is used to access the website.
 Domain names provide an easy way to remember internet address which is translated into
its numeric address (IP address) by the domain name system (DNS).

 Domain name is divided into three parts.

 Host-name, sub-domain: Indicates computer name or username.

 Second-level domain.

 Top-level domain: indicates the site hosting company is an

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organization.


 Top-level domains are

 .gov - Government agencies

 .com - commercial business

 .edu - educational institutes

 .net - organizations that are non-profit.

 .int - International organizations like UNO, WHO etc.

 .in - India

User name
 To the left of the "@" character is the user name.

 The user name designates who at a domain is the owner of the E-mail address, for
example "rock".

Types of E-mail addressing

 There are actually three most common ways to establish a valid E-mail address.

 Creating a live E-mail account with mail provider like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail & etc.
 Creating a virtual mailbox, or E-mail forwarding feature.

 Creating a personal domain E-mail with user domain.

4.5 Structure of Email

There is a standard structure for emails. Email contents are primarily classified as two, the header and
the body. We are going to see the contents come under the two subparts.

The Header
The email header gives us common details about the message such as the unique identity of the message.
The details of the users of the ‘from’ and ‘to’ ends are also stored here. The email header consists of the
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following parts. However, the exact contents of the header can vary according to the email systems that
generate the email message.

1) Subject

2) Sender (From:)

3) Date and time received (On)

4) Reply-to

5) Recipient (To:)

6) Recipient email address

7) Attachments

Subject

The subject part is the topic of the message. In most email systems, if the content view of the folders is
set to view each messages separately, the subject part also will be visible with the user’s name. These
subject fields are scanned by the spam scanners to evaluate the messages.

Sender (From:)

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This field describes the ‘from’ address of the email. This will specify the sender’s email address.
Usually, it will be the “reply-to” address.

Date and time received (On)

This is the date and time the message received.

Reply-to

This field describes the email address that will become the recipient of the reply to the particular email.
When you reply, it will go to this email address despite the sender email address.
Recipient (To:)

This is the first/last name of the email recipient as configured by the sender.

Recipient email address

The email address of the recipient is specified here.

Attachments
Some emails could be attached with files such as text, image, audio, video etc. These files are specified
here.

Body
The actual content is stored in this part. This will be in the format of text. This field could also include
signatures or text generated automatically by the sender’s email system. As we mentioned earlier, the
contents of the emails can be varied according to the different email systems used by each user.

4.6 Email client server

An email client is a software program or web application* that enables users to send, receive, and store
emails. Popular email clients include Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail.

Email client is a desktop application that enables configuring one or more email addresses to receive,
read, compose and send emails from that email address(s) through the desktop interface. It provides a
central interface for receiving, composing and sending emails of configured email address(s).

Email client is also known as email reader or mail user agent (MUA).

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Netscape mail Clients

The Netscape Navigator is a free open source mail and news client developed by Netscape on 11 June
2007. It is also known as Netscape Messenger, a standalone cross platform desktop email client available
for Windows, MAC and Linux users. Initially the Netscape mail program was released as Netscape
Mercury was based on Mozilla's Thunderbird. Later it replaced the former Netscape Mail & Newsgroups
client for versions 4 to 7.2.

Netscape Used For

 Netscape Mail & Newsgroups: The application is mostly used for messaging purposes. By
using Netscape as a desktop email client you can configure and manage multiple email
accounts. You can also subscribe newsgroups.
 Netscape Browser: It was the first browser of the Netscape series, which is totally based on
Mozilla Firefox. By using Netscape as a web browser you can simply surf internet.
Outlook Express:

Outlook Express has long been a friend to those who use a PC at home or at work, in particular
machines that run with Microsoft. We at Mail.com believe there is no need to sacrifice that
familiarity just so you can use our services such as spam filters and high attachment limit. Once
you’ve set up your mail.com account, you can simply add the account to Outlook Express and
continue to send and receive emails in the mail client you prefer.

Web-based email

Webmail (or web-based email) is an email service that can be accessed using a standard web
browser. It contrasts with email service accessible through a specialised email client software.
Examples of webmail providers are AOL Mail, Gmail, Mailfence, Outlook.com/Hotmail.com,
Yahoo! Mail and IceWarp Mail Server. Additionally, many internet service providers provide webmail
as part of their internet service package. Similarly, some web hosting providers also provide webmail as
a part of their hosting package.

Mail Server

A mail server (sometimes also referred to an e-mail server) is a server that handles and delivers e-mail
over a network, usually over the Internet. A mail server can receive e-mails from client computers and
deliver them to other mail servers. A mail server can also deliver e-mails to client computers. A client
computer is normally the computer where you read your e-mails, for example your computer at home or in
your office. Also, an advanced mobile phone or Smartphone, with e-mail capabilities, can be regarded as a
client computer in these circumstances.

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4.7 Mailing List

In order to send same email to a group of people, an electron list is created which is known as Mailing List.
It is the list server which receives and distributes postings and automatically manages subscriptions.
Mailing list offers a forum, where users from all over the globe can answer questions and have them
answered by others with shared interests.
4.7.1 Types of Mailing List
Following are the various types of mailing lists:
 Response List
It contains the group of people who have responsed to an offer in some way. These people are the
customers who have shown interest in specific product or service.
 Compiled List
The compiled list is prepared by collecting information from various sources such as surveys,
telemarketing etc.
 Announcements
These lists are created for sending out coupans , new product announcements and other offers to the
customers.
 Discussion List
This list is created for sharing views on a specific topic suchas computer, environment , healt,
education etc.

4.7.2 How does mailing list work?

Before joining a mailing list, it is mandatory to subscribe to it. Once you are subscribed, your message will
be sent to all the persons who have subscribed to the list. Similarly if any subscriber posts a message, then
it will be received by all subscribers of the list.

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4.7.3 Finding Mailing List

There are a number of websites are available to maintain database of publically accessible mailing list.
Some of these are:
 http://tile.net./lists
 http://lists.com
 http://topica.com
 http://isoft.com/lists/list-q.html
Mailing lists can also be found using Google website. In Google, move to directory and the
follow: Computers > Internet >Mailing List > Directories.

Subscribing to Mailing List

To subscribe to a list, you need to send an email message to the administrative address mailing list
containing one or more commands. For example, if you want to subscribe to Harry Potter list in gurus.com
where name of the list server us Majordomo, then you have to send email to [email protected]
containing the text, Subscribe harry potter in its body.
After sending the email, you will receive a confirmation email for your subscription. This email will include list
of commands that will help you to perform various operations such as unsubscribing, receiving
acknowledgement, and find out what list you are subscribed to.

There are many list servers available, each having its own commands for subscribing to the list. Some of
them are described in the following table:

List Server Command Example

LISTSERV subscribe listname yourname subscribe commdhtml rahul

Majordomo subscribe listname subscribe commdhtml

ListProc subscribe listname yourname subscribe commdhtml rahul

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4.8 Email security

Email security refers to the methods and processes used to safeguard email accounts, information, and
communications from unauthorized access, data loss, and other hostile threats.

Significance of Email Security Practices

Hackers and cybercriminals use email as a means to disseminate malware, spam, and phishing assaults.
It's also one of the common ways to get into a business network and steal sensitive data.
Approximately 92 percent of all malware is distributed via email. Every day, 15 billion spam emails are
sent, accounting for around 45 percent of all emails. Furthermore, 95% of corporate email hack damages
ranged from 250 to 984,855

Threats to Email Marketing

 Spam – Spam is defined as unsolicited emails sent in large numbers. Vector spam can
contain links that download malware files in some situations.
 Phishing – Phishing is when hackers use false emails, adverts, links, or messages to steal
personal information or gain access to internet accounts. Phishing is involved in 36% of
breaches, according to Verizon.
 Malware – Malware is when cybercriminals use harmful code distributed in email
communications to infect one or more machines. Email virus infections will increase by 600
percent in 2020.
 Spoofing – Spoofing is a spam and phishing assault tactic used by hackers. It is meant to
deceive consumers into believing that the communication comes from someone or
something they know or can trust.
 Botnet Messages – A botnet is a network of computers that have been infected with
malware. It commands the 'bot-header,' a single assaulting party. It's used to hack into
devices, steal data, send spam, and get access to the device and its network.
 BEC (Business Email Compromise) – The tracker uses this approach to acquire access to a
business email account and impersonate the owner. The attacker usually targets
organizations that use wire transfers to send money to overseas vendors.

How Can You Identify an Email as a Threat?

Dangerous emails have some common features. Look out for the following attributes to identify emails
that have been sent with a malicious intent −

 Untrustworthy Email Address

Look for emails that utilize display name spoofing to hide the sender's true identity. These emails
look like to have been sent by respectable organizations or trustworthy persons. Examine the
sender's email address in the header for any small variations, such as extra characters or letters.

 A Sense of Immediacy
In addition to verifying the email's header, you should also check the email's body. If you receive
an unusual request that makes you feel compelled to act, it's likely that it includes malware. As a
result, examine the email's wording for any feeling of urgency. Check for grammar and spelling

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issues, as most spam emails are poorly written.

 Requests for Information Verification

Any email that requests you to verify, evaluate, check, or confirm any information is most likely a
virus email. As a result, double-check the sender's email address before responding.

 Suspicious Links
Malware might be contained in an email with an unexpected attachment that asks you to open
it. .zip, .xls, .js, .pdf, .ace, .arj, .wsh, .scr, .exe, .com, .bat, and .doc are examples of suspicious
attachment file extensions.

 A Link Must Be Clicked

Keep an eye out for emails that push you to visit a website. It might be infected with malware!
Check the URL before clicking on the link. If it's a hyperlinked link, hover your cursor over the
text and double-check the link before clicking.

Email Security Best Practices

Following are some of the best practices in email security that work −
 Email marketing should be encrypted. Customer-sensitive information is sometimes
included in emails, making them susceptible. As a result, it's critical to protect these
communications by encrypting all emails sent to and from your customers.
 Email security software should be used. Additionally, employ high-quality email and
security solutions that aren't easily manipulated or hacked. Invest in password management
software, as well as anti-phishing and anti-spoofing software.
 Use two-factor authentication. It's a common habit as well as an efficient security
precaution. Before logging in, a user must submit two pieces of identifying information,
making it far more difficult for hackers to get access to an account, even if they know the
password.
 Make sure the devices you use to log in are up to date. With the rise of remote work, many
workers are encouraged to work from home and use personal devices to access company
email accounts. Personal gadgets, on the other hand, are far more difficult for an
organization to track, posing a serious security concern.
 Only connect to secure Wi-Fi networks. If your firm doesn't utilize Wi-Fi or work from
home, make sure you're always connected to the internet over a secure connection.

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