What Would You Consider More Secure: A Fax, An Email, or the U.S. Mail?

The other day I needed to request some documentation. I was given two options: Via normal U.S. mail or via fax. This being 2013 I was a little perplexed, and the options seemed very much like the 1990’s. I inquired: “Can’t I get it sent to me by email?” The nice lady on the phone said, “No, we only consider the mail and faxes secure, so we don’t send anything by email.” As I sat there in almost utter amazement at the lack of an email option, my head started to try and process the securedness of all three options.

The mail – On average I probably get one piece of mail every couple of months that is meant for someone else, which always makes me wonder what of my mail never makes it to me, and are the people who receive my mail nice enough to either bring it over if it’s a neighbor, or throw it back in the mail? Also, who hasn’t seen the TV show where someone gets something by mail, only to have their wife “steam” the envelope open to see what it is, and then reseal it?

The fax – Having done like many folks, we’ve given up our land line months ago, and with that the multi-functioness of the multi-function printer diminished by one as faxing becomes moot. Sure, the fax sitting in the home is pretty secure if you are sitting right next to it, patiently waiting for the fax to arrive, but in an office setting, where you may have your faxes delivered to you by an underling, how is that very secure?

The email – Sure, we all know the government and your email provider is probably spying on you, but what else is new? And fine, maybe if you have an email sent to a work account your IT guy is seeing that you like jokes about dogs, but if I have something sent to a private email, and then can print it so that I can directly have the piece of paper in my hand, I’m thinking maybe a little more secure.

Looking for some expediency instead of security I opted for the fax, having it sent to someone I could sort of trust, and hoping they wouldn’t wonder “Why is The Dude getting jokes about dogs faxed to him?” My dog jokes fixation aside, I plight: What would you consider more secure: A fax, an email, or the U.S. Mail?

That’s it for this plight! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!