Does CentMail magnify the damage from email viruses?
A virus that infects a user’s computer could deplete that user’s CentMail account by sending out emails on their behalf. In this case, however, three factors mitigate the potential damage: (1) An increase in the number of stamps requested by a user would alert CentMail to a potential security issue, and the user could then be alerted to a possible infection; (2) since stamp proceeds are donated, stolen stamps amount to the user donating more money through CentMail than they had intended — while still not ideal, this is perhaps a better scenario than money being lost outright; and (3) if one’s computer is infected with a virus, the monetary loss of CentMail stamps — on the order of $5-$10 — is likely not the primary concern given the costs associated with corrupted data and other threats associated with viruses. • Is Hashcash better, achieving the same goal with less user involvement? We’re not proposing to eliminate Hashcash. Any viable solution to spam will likely draw on myriad te
