The only true fool-proof way to ensure the authenticity of an email is with PGP or GnuPG encrypted email.
The fact is, by and large every email gets sent as 'clear text' across all MTA intermediaries.
Putting it another way:
Would you put a paper letter in the mail without first placing it in a privacy envelope?
The answer is no you wouldn't unless you were sending a postcard.
If 'envelopes' are a mailing convention for privacy, why not make GnuPG or PGP the 'envelope' for all email correspondence?
Mandated use would solve many problems:
o ISPs could test the header of emails for signed certificates and if not present simply shunt the email offline
o Spam would be largely eliminated
o Users of the Internet would gain the privacy right they deserve
What say you Ed?
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