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Email clients or programs fall into three basic category's.
- Server Based (Work)
- POP3 or MAPI Clients (Home)
- Web Based (Both)
To understand how email is different it is necessary to understand how email is stored. The majority of email programs, server and POP3 clients, store the email in a database file. What this means is that all the users email is stored in one single physical database file as compared to each email being stored in a single files. In the server environment expands this even further in that multiple users email is stored in a single database file. The email does not exist as a separate file on the computer.
Server Based Email
Server based email is found in most business environments who have multiple employees using email in the course of business. In larger corporations, there is often a dedicated email server(s) that does nothing but process email. The three most popular programs for servers are Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise. The server stores all the email and then individual users access their email from the server.
POP3 Client Email
A POP3 or MAPI are most often found in the home setting. These are the email clients that access email such as the ones provided by the broadband or dial-up provider that the home user subscribes to. Examples of these include Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Eudora, Mail for Mac, and numerous others. These programs also store the email most often in a database file(s).
Web Based Email
Web based email is accessed using an Internet browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, FireFox or Safari. The internet browser logs into an email server through a web based interface. This can be the business server for a corporation or a server for an Internet service provider such as Comcast or AT & T. Web based email is accessing the same data as both POP3 Client and Server Based Email, with one big difference. There is no database stored on the user's computer. The user can set email to be saved, but this is usually not the default. Often the only email that can be found for web based email is in the Internet Cache.
The Center for Computer Forensics' examiners will attempt to recover the email, no matter what the type, and parse it into individual emails The email can be searched using keywords or phrases. The email can then be produced for use in court.
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