GF sent personal info over email.

[Reapt]

My GF just hit me up and told me she just sent some of her personal info over an email. She was trying to send her folks some documents.I guess the documents had some sensitive info on them Like her full name, SSN#, etc. The email was not encrypted. How at risk is she and what should she do from here? She is kinda freaking out. While I'm an IT security professional I kinda live by not sending personal info over emails... but now that she has what do you guys think her risk is? I guess it was a PDF attachment. I know nothing of identity theft really...

I guess I didnt help by telling her how bad this was... :/

 

[carnageX]

So she sent it the wrong person or something?

Or the email was indeed sent to the correct person, but just not encrypted?

What email service was used to send/receive the email? If it was over HTTPS, it's covered by SSL at least... but I guess I'm not really sure what the huge deal is if she sent it to the correct address? If she sent it to the wrong email address...well that kinda sucks.

 

[Reapt]

Sent to the right person, and gmail

 

[carnageX]

GMail is defaulted as HTTPS (shows right up in the address bar if SSL is activated as well). Was it sent to another GMail account?

Again, since it was sent to the right person... I really don't see the huge deal lol. I've emailed my parents tax forms several times (which has my name/address/SSN/wages for that year on them), and I've never been worried that my data was in trouble...

 

[iFargle]

Yeah since the NSA stuff Google has been working to encrypt Gmail end to end, even within Googles own servers. So long as it was sent to the right person I wouldn't worry too much about it

 

[borstarhymes]

if she's really concerned have her her contact all 3 credit reporting agencies to have a fraud alert placed on her SSN, this way if anyone tries to open a line of credit,loan etc they'll have to contact her to confirm that it really is her trying to open said product

 

[Reapt]

I knew gmail started using encryption internally(I love how proactive google is against the NSA) but this was sent from a gmail to a msn email. Which means it crossed the network in plain text. And any sniffer could read the packet. Atleast this is my thinking. I believe it was some of her old tax forms.

 

[Slacker]

It all comes down to who you think might be snooping your emails. google has done everything the NSA has asked them to do. Everybody forgets that google can add all of the encryption they like but when there are back doors built into the system what does encryption matter? Who do you think might be sniffing her emails? or who might have reason to....is she head of govt? protestor? CEO or celebrity? has she found a cure for aids? Is she heir to a large amount of money?

At the end of the day the NSA is sucking up just about everything that happens on the internet. Even if you are using email to describe the get away from the bank robbery. Odds are you will not be caught today or before you make the get away. It is 6 months to a 1 year from now when they have had time to search their database for everything about you.

 

[carnageX]

Speaking of the NSA... Snowden reports NSA employees intercept, share private nude photos

 

[Slacker]

Speaking of the NSA... Snowden reports NSA employees intercept, share private nude photos

Wait a second! Brett Farve gets to show the world his junk and I am stuck with just the guys at the NSA?