Story Of an e-Mail

After we press the send button,

there is a interval of maximum 30 seconds(unlimited in case of internet explorer)

What happens during that time? Ever thought about that?

Let me help you with that

My journey begins as soon as you press

send

Then I travel all the way to the data center to outgoing server via SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer

Protocol).

After that I go through a series of security

checks

Then I enter the networking room from where it is

sent to the Gmail server

In the data server, I am

processed and I am then

Duplicated and my backup using

POP3(Post office Protocol)

or IMAP(Internet

Message Access

Protocol) is created and I

also scanned for viruses.

Then the DNS

server translates recipient’s domains into an IP address.

Then I am sent from the SMTP server to the target domain’s mail transfer

agent from where I am sent to the receiver via Mail

Deliver Agent.

GOOGLE’s EFFICIENCY

All the servers are

shared among Google

products which

enables Google to

perform more operations in less servers

and less energy

TO save energy Google uses conventional sources of energy

like wind energy and solar energy which helps to consume

50% less energy

HOPS IN THE PROCESS

• 1. Your email server: As we are using Gmail, there’s a connection from you to Google. That’s the first hop, and you can tell if that connection is encrypted. All you have to do is look in your address bar for that green lock.”

•  • 2. Between Google and Yahoo: When you send an email from gmail, it gets

stored in Google’s servers. Google moves its data from datacenter to datacenter, which means that your data could be moved outside india temporarily. And when it gets transferred by gmail, the government gets a copy of that.

• 3. Your recipient’s email server: Then, Google communicates with Yahoo, that’s the second hop. And that’s the second place your email can be intercepted, if your recipient’s mail client doesn’t use email encryption.  If your recipient’s provider doesn’t support an encrypted connection, it would be unprotected and readable to anyone who gets a hold of that message.

• 4. Your recipient’s computer: Once your recipient opens up the email, they can forward it to whomever they please, creating a chain of vulnerable points

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSIMAP(Instant Message Access Protocol) POP(Post Office Protocol)

You can use only one computer to check your email (no other devices)

You can use multiple computers and devices to check your email

Your mails are stored on the computer that you use

Your mails are stored on the server

Sent mail is stored locally on your PC, not on a mail server

Sent mail stays on the server so you can see it from any device.

1.What is the Difference between IMAP and POP

2. Outgoing and Incoming mails are handled by two different types of servers Differentiate between those.

MTA(Mail Transfer Agent) SMTP(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)

Used for receiving mail. Used for sending mail.

Spam is not filtered out. Spam is filtered out.

No restrictions on IP address Must have static IP addresses.

ISPs ports are not blocked. ISPs ports are blocked.