Question

Print out the header of an e-mail message you have recently received. How many Received: header lines are there? Analyze each of the header lines in the message.

Short answer

Count the 'Received:' lines in the email header and analyze each one's details.

Step-by-step solution

Access Your Email

Open your email client or webmail where the message is located. This could be Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or any other email service you use.

Open the Target Email

Locate the recent email you want to analyze in your inbox and open it by clicking on it.

View the Email Header

Find the option to view the email header. In many email clients, this is done by clicking on 'More' or 'View options' and selecting 'Show original', 'View source', or 'Show headers'. This will display the full email header, including all the technical details.

Count Received Header Lines

Look through the header information and identify all the lines that begin with 'Received:'. Count how many of these lines are present in the email header.

Analyze Each Received Header Line

For each 'Received:' line, read through and interpret the information. Each line usually includes details about the server that handled the email, the time the email was processed, and sometimes security checks. Note down key points from these analyses.

Key concepts

Email Header

When we receive an email, it's not just the body of the message that we should pay attention to. The email header contains important information about the message's journey from the sender to your inbox. Unlike the visible message content, headers are usually hidden by default, but they can be easily accessed through your email client.

The email header includes a lot of details, such as the sender's email address, the recipient's address, timestamps showing when each server received and sent the email, and other metadata. By understanding how to read an email header, you can gather insights into the email's history and authenticity. This can be particularly helpful for spotting phishing attempts or checking if an email has been manipulated.

• From: Who sent the email.
• To: Who the email is sent to.
• Date: When the email was sent.
• Subject: The title or topic of the email.
• Received Header: Detailing how the email traveled from sender to recipient.

Received Header

Among the various lines in an email header, the 'Received' lines are of critical importance. These entries show the path an email took through different servers to reach its destination. Each email you send or receive passes through multiple servers, and each server adds its own 'Received' line. This process is akin to stamping a passport at each airport during a flight.

The 'Received' headers log each server's IP address, the time the email was processed there, and sometimes even details about the checks the email passed. By examining these lines, you can identify intermediate servers and potentially detect any unusual activity that might indicate email spoofing or other malicious actions.

Usually, the first 'Received' header is the last one added, as headers are appended in sequence from sender to recipient. This means that to see the first server that handled the message, start reading the 'Received' lines from the bottom of the list.

Email Client

An email client is the software or application you use to access and manage your emails. Whether it's a web-based interface like Gmail or a desktop application such as Outlook, the email client allows you to send, receive, organize, and store your email messages.

Each client has its way of displaying email headers, but most allow you to view the full header information to learn more about the messages you receive. Some email clients might list this option under 'More' settings or 'Advanced options', while some may have a direct 'Show original' button. Familiarizing yourself with how your email client handles headers is beneficial for analyzing email messages effectively.

• Popular Clients: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail.
• Features: Incoming and outgoing email management, spam filtering, and header viewing.
• Customization: Most clients offer options to customize layouts and settings to suit user preferences.

Email Security

Email security is an essential aspect of maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of your communication. With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats such as phishing, malware, and spam, understanding email security measures helps keep your information safe.

Security features often found in email headers include DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), SPF (Sender Policy Framework), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). These protocols help verify the legitimacy of the sender and protect against spoofing, where someone pretends to send an email from a trusted source.

While security protocols work mostly behind the scenes, inspecting email headers allows you to see these security measures in action. If a header shows failed SPF or DKIM checks, it might be an alert that the email is suspicious. By gaining a basic understanding of email security, you can make informed decisions about the emails you open and trust.