Anonymous remailers are an upgraded version of proxy servers. They
too are server computers that receive embedded instructions as to where
the message has to be sent. The message is sent without revealing the
source or the destination of the message. Some of the popular anonymous
remailers are Mixmaster anonymous remailers, Cypherhunk anonymous
remailers, nym servers, etc… They essentially serve the purpose of
communicating through e-mails with total anonymity. There is a strong
encryption and a chain remailer system that protects each message. They
change the IP addresses of the source and the destination hence
producing “fake addresses”.
There are four types of remailers:
1
Cypherhunk remailers – They are also known as Type I remailers. A
message is sent by stripping away the source address. Such messages
cannot be replied to in a direct manner. A message is encrypted and
sent which is then decrypted. Such remailers do not keep a translation
log.
2 Mixmaster remailers – They are also known as Type II
remailers. They need to be downloaded and installed so that messages
are written through a program.
3 Mixminion remailers – They are also
known as Type III remailers. It is being designed to work on the
drawbacks of the Cypherhunk and Mixmaster remailers. It addresses such
concerns as replying to encrypted emails, forwarding messages with
anonymity, dummy traffic, prevention of replay, integrated directory
servers, etc…
4 Pseudonymous remailers – in this too as in
Cypherhunk remailers, the source address is removed which is the given
a pseudonym after which the message is sent. The difference is that
these messages can be replied to.
The factors that must be
considered when selecting a remailer are class (encrypted message
versus cleartext content, one way versus two way), location that is
decided via geographical mapping, history of the server, security
features that are offered by the server, identity of the operator,
privacy policies that are implemented, and software that is used.
of remailers has not been clearly defined but anything that harms the
server is known to be abuse. Since the address of the sender ID not
disclosed people send slanderous messages or mailbomb someone they
disagree with. Yet another problem is that since binaries can be sent
through remailers, distribution of illegal software becomes easy.
Pornography is a major issue as porn material is distributed through
remailing systems.
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