Electronic Mail Security - The Truth

Messages can be faked:

 

It is possible to spoof (fake) an electronic mail message. That is, you may receive a message from someone that has been sent by someone else. If you suspect that you have received a spoofed mail message, you should contact the Information Technology Unit ITU immediately. This is a clear violation of the Code of Conduct for Content Providers on University Machines, and violators will be prosecuted.

Messages may be seen in transit:

 

A person, known as a Electronic Mail Postmaster, is in charge of making sure that mail is being properly delivered on one or more computer systems. This person, in doing their job, may inadvertently see a message that is being processed by the mail delivery system.

Thus...

You should never put anything in an electronic mail message that you would mind seeing on the evening news! And, you should definately avoid putting secure information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, in an electronic mail message.