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E-mail “Caller ID” Is on the Way

What will they think of next? One of the latest innovations in the high-tech world revolves around “caller ID” for e-mail. As the name implies, this system will attempt to replicate the benefits of telephone caller identification methods for e-mail communications.

Background: If you have caller ID as part of your telephone system, the window on your phone generally displays the name or phone number of a caller as soon as the call is received. Otherwise, it may show an “out of area,” “unknown caller” or similar message indicating that the party is not listed in the directory. This puts you on instant alert to the nature of the call. Depending on the message displayed, you can choose to pick up or not answer the telephone.

However, e-mail communications that are delivered to your personal computer do not provide the same security measures. A scam artist can easily trick you into thinking the message is being sent by someone you know. For instance, the subject line may reflect your name or something else that is personal to you, your family or your business. Or the “come-on” in the subject line may be so inviting, you cannot resist opening it up to see what the communication contains. Unfortunately, the e-mail may contain computer code that can result in unwanted advertisements or other “spam” being sent to your e-mail address.

In the worst case scenario, opening e-mail from unknown sources could result in harmful computer viruses or could lead to identity theft through unauthorized access to your personal information.

An e-mail authorization system would avoid most of the complications. It will assure recipients that the person or entity sending the message is accurately reflected in the header. At the heart of the system is an authentication process that assigns a “repudiation score” to the sender. This places the onus on senders—not recipients—to ensure that their communications are not being flagged by third-party gateway providers.

Latest word: As we go to press, some of the kinks in the e-mail authorization system are still being worked out by the computer industry. But, rest assured, this new technology is being fast-tracked and should be available to consumers in the very near future. It is expected to become an extremely valuable tool in both the personal and business environment.

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	[ return to list ] E-mail “Caller ID” Is on the Way What will they think of next? One of the latest innovations in the high-tech world revolves around “caller ID” for e-mail. As the name implies, this system will attempt to replicate the benefits of telephone caller identification methods for e-mail communications. Background: If you have caller ID as part of your telephone system, the window on your phone generally displays the name or phone number of a caller as soon as the call is received. Otherwise, it may show an “out of area,” “unknown caller” or similar message indicating that the party is not listed in the directory. This puts you on instant alert to the nature of the call. Depending on the message displayed, you can choose to pick up or not answer the telephone. However, e-mail communications that are delivered to your personal computer do not provide the same security measures. A scam artist can easily trick you into thinking the message is being sent by someone you know. For instance, the subject line may reflect your name or something else that is personal to you, your family or your business. Or the “come-on” in the subject line may be so inviting, you cannot resist opening it up to see what the communication contains. Unfortunately, the e-mail may contain computer code that can result in unwanted advertisements or other “spam” being sent to your e-mail address. In the worst case scenario, opening e-mail from unknown sources could result in harmful computer viruses or could lead to identity theft through unauthorized access to your personal information. An e-mail authorization system would avoid most of the complications. It will assure recipients that the person or entity sending the message is accurately reflected in the header. At the heart of the system is an authentication process that assigns a “repudiation score” to the sender. This places the onus on senders—not recipients—to ensure that their communications are not being flagged by third-party gateway providers. Latest word: As we go to press, some of the kinks in the e-mail authorization system are still being worked out by the computer industry. But, rest assured, this new technology is being fast-tracked and should be available to consumers in the very near future. It is expected to become an extremely valuable tool in both the personal and business environment. [ return to list ]
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