Need info on E-mail security

[Kent Perrier]

I need a some help from all of you crypto-literate people out in
Net.Land.  The company currently employing me has recently opened
several overseas offices.  We have connected ourselves to the Internet
to send e-mail between the Houston office (corperate HQ) the new
overseas offices.  As to be expected, the powers-that-be here gave no 
thought to security for e-mail.  I have brought this to their attention 
about 6 weeks ago and nothing has been done yet.  I know 6 weeks is a 
short period of time but this is still a relatively small company 
(400 people) so something should have happened by now if anything was 
going to happen.

That's the history of the current situation.  I believe I need to provide
some proof as to how easy it is to read unencrypted Internet E-mail. 
Not being an experienced programmer and not knowing how a lot of things
work on the Internet, I do not know how easy it is to scan in-transit 
e-mail for keywords.  Could some kind person please inform me as to 
how easy it is to do this, and, if possible, please direct me to a
place that papers and/or programs have been written on the subject.  I
belive I need to "shock" the higher-ups that this could be a very big
problem if we don't do something now while use of the Internet is light.

Thanks,

Kent Perrier
keperrier at setpoint.com (work)
kperrier at neosoft.com (play)
Corporations don't have opinions, people do.  These are mine.