Researchers, including Northwestern scientists, have identified a "fundamental trade-off" in the way we send e-mails -- people want to be efficient and get their messages across quickly, but there's also an element of randomness to keep e-mail addresses from getting hacked or used for spam.
"We found people generally fall on a spectrum that starts at purely random and goes to purely rational," said Northwestern's Dashun Wang, assistant professor of industrial engineering and management sciences and of computer science. "At any point, there is always some randomness."
The researchers created a mathematical model that shows how different levels of randomness can impact the efficiency of sending e-mails. They found that while adding too much randomness significantly affects efficiency, there is an "optimal" level of randomness that makes e-mails more secure without dramatically slowing down the process of sending and receiving them.
The study was published Sept. 19 in the journal Physical Review Letters.
How People Choose an E-Mail Address
When someone has an e-mail account, they need to choose an e-mail address. There are many choices, but people generally fall into two categories when choosing an e-mail address -- pure randomness, such as a number code or a random string of letters, and rational randomness, such as a variation on their real name or company.
"At one end, you have e-mail addresses like '54jkslf' and at the other end, you have 'John.Smith,'" said Daniel Abrams, a professor of applied mathematics and physics at Columbia University. "We wondered 'Where does your e-mail address fall on this spectrum? Is it more rational or more random?'"
Using Math to Model E-Mail Choice
To answer this question, Wang and Abrams created a model to understand the relationship between the level of randomness and efficiency. The model suggests that the amount of randomness in an e-mail address is influenced by two factors:
* The value of security. How much does the person care about their e-mail address being private and secure?
* The value of efficiency. How much does the person care about being able to send and receive e-mails quickly?
For people who value security more, they will choose an e-mail address that is more random, making it harder to hack or use for spam. Conversely, people who value efficiency more will choose an e-mail address that is more rational and easier to remember.
Finding the 'Optimal' Level of Randomness
The researchers found that there is an "optimal" level of randomness that maximizes the efficiency of sending and receiving e-mails and ensures that the address remains secure. In other words, while e-mail addresses should contain some randomness, they shouldn't be too random.
"We found that you can maintain 95% of the efficiency of a fully rational address while also introducing randomness that provides a significant level of protection against spammers and hackers," Abrams said.
Recommendations
The researchers suggest that people take into consideration the trade-off between security and efficiency when choosing an e-mail address and aim for the optimal level of randomness.
To achieve this, they suggest the following:
* Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
* Avoid using personal information, such as your name or social security number.
* Use a different e-mail address for personal and business purposes.
* Change your password frequently.
By following these tips, you can help to ensure the security of your e-mail address while still being able to send and receive emails quickly and efficiently.
