虽然,通过互联网收发电子邮件已经很普遍,审计师仍有必要懂得其工作原理和保护措施。20世纪60年代,互联网主要被用来在军事和学术间的文本通讯。今天,那些通讯协议仍影响着电子邮件系统的使用和保护。当一个单独的信息被传到目的地时,很可能不会比来自普通邮政系统的明信片更安全。 Although it has become commonplace for e-mail to be sent and received over the Internet, it is still necessary for auditors to understand how it works and what to protect. In the 1960s, the Internet was mainly used for text communications between military and academic institutions. Today, those communications protocols still affect the use and protection of e-mail systems. When a single message is sent to its destination, it is likely that it will not be as secure as a postcard from an ordinary postal system.