50th anniversary of email

Although the way we use email has evolved over the past 25 years, the core technology has remained almost unchanged for quite some time. This year marks the 50th anniversary of email, and interestingly—not only does it still function flawlessly, but it remains the most popular business communication tool. And there are no signs that this will change anytime soon.

Over the past 50 years, email has become the primary business communication tool, which is an extraordinary achievement considering the age of this technology. How has email managed to survive to this day? What exactly does email have to offer? And does it really stand a chance of competing with technologies such as instant messaging and cloud-based collaboration platforms?

In 1969, the first-ever electronic message was sent via ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), a computer network in the United States. The message consisted of a single word. Two years later, Ray Tomlinson introduced the “@” symbol to separate different elements of an email address.

The business world quickly recognized the potential of this technology, leading to the rapid development of email in the following years. One of the most significant milestones was the launch of CompuServe in 1989—the first online service offering internet connectivity and access to email. From that point on, belonging to a specific network was no longer necessary to send emails. Internet users could send and receive messages between internet-based email addresses, making email accessible to everyone.

As the internet gained popularity in the 1990s, the number of email providers increased, along with the number of users and the volume of emails sent and received. A groundbreaking moment came in 2004 with the launch of Gmail by Google, offering users 1 GB of free storage, revolutionizing email services by eliminating storage limitations and providing free access to the platform.

Probably one of the biggest advantages of email over new and competing technologies is that it is not proprietary and is not owned by a single entity. The opposite is often true for modern communication services, which can create many challenges in the business environment.

Email is completely independent and offers a wide range of usage and configuration options. Thanks to fundamental standards like SMTP and IMAP, email has a broad range of applications, making it universal, practical, and convenient to use.

However, every technology has its drawbacks. The same goes for email, where the biggest limitation is the file size limit for attachments.

Since email is so universal and widely used, it is often exploited for illegal purposes. In fact, email is the main gateway for cyberattacks. For example, well-crafted messages can trick users into revealing their login credentials for online services. A regular email is like a postcard – its contents are not protected and can be read by anyone without the sender or recipient’s knowledge. Although encryption prevents such actions, it usually only protects the content of the email. Metadata (such as the subject or the sender/recipient information) is typically not encrypted or protected. These fields contain valuable information and can provide important clues for conducting social engineering attacks or espionage by intelligence agencies.

This is a common issue, as metadata is also not encrypted when using messaging apps. However, with email encryption, there is the option to add an additional barrier, which, unfortunately, is quite complex and involves significant costs and time, as it requires purchasing, managing, and renewing certificates. As a result, the cost of securing email becomes high, not only financially but also in terms of usability.

The biggest downside of email is probably spam. Although the golden age of spam ended more than ten years ago, and anti-spam tools have successfully reduced this problem, it remains, at best, an annoying activity, and at worst, a significant threat. However, attacks in this form can be effectively addressed by implementing proper security measures, training users, and raising awareness. Users can also be provided with the necessary security tools.

But what about the features of email itself, which allow for the expansion of this technology? How can we enhance the functionality of this form of communication and improve it?

As mentioned, email has been an excellent communication tool for decades, and it cannot be denied that this technology has earned its place in today’s world.

Naturally, hackers are still looking for ways to exploit email for illegal purposes, which makes it essential to eliminate any cyberattacks that use email as a gateway. Areas where standard emails fall short of meeting the expected functionalities and today’s business needs—especially those concerning security—must be identified and improved so they can keep up with technological advancements.